A QUICK START GUIDE TO THE ART OF DRINKING

• Bacchus, the god of wine, has four common cult titles: Bromius, Iacchus, Lenaeus, and Lyaeus. Obsopoeus uses them all, and each can be a poetic word for wine; hence “worshipping Bacchus” can also mean to literally drink wine. • The most famous wine of antiquity was Falernian. Like champagne, its name comes from the region it was produced in, and like “champagne,” Obso- poeus uses it as a general word for wine. • Greeks and Romans had scads of different vessels for storing, preparing, serving, and drinking wine. Obsopoeus sometimes uses their names in their original sense and sometimes for analogous vessels of his own time. The illustration and chart on the following pages show which are which.

xxix A QUICK START GUIDE

Greek Latin Modern equivalent

storage

pithos dolium barrel amphora cadus bottle

preparation

krater crater N/A (a bowl for mingling water and wine) N/A obba decanter

serving

kyathos cyathus a drink or “round” of drinks (a ladle) N/A trulla a drink or “round” of drinks (a dipping cup) N/A capedo pitcher or carafe

drinking

kylix calix wineglass (Italian calice, English chalice) kantharos cantharus trophy cup skyphos scyphus bowl phiale patera saucer or wineglass karchesion carchesium stein or mug

The Latin word poculum (cup) denotes any of these drinking vessels, but, like the serving vessels, it is usually used metaphori- cally for “a drink” or “a round” (as in the phrase inter pocula, “over drinks”).

xxx Greek and Roman wine vessels, in Obsopoeus’ Latin spelling. For their use and Greek spelling, see the table. DE ARTE BIBENDI