Part 2: Cellars, Cross-contamination, and Fermentation (Pliny the Elder 14.49[27])

Picari oportere protinus a canis ortu, postea perfundi marina aqua aut salsa, dein cinere e sarmentis aspergi vel argilla, abstersa murra suffiri ipsasque saepius cellas. inbecilla vina demissis in terram doliis servanda, valida expositis. numquam inplenda [. . .] aperiri vetant nisi sereno die, vetant austro flante lunave plena. flos vini candidus probatur; rubens triste…

Cellars, Cross-contamination, and Fermentation Vessels! (Pliny the Elder 14.49[27])

Magna et collecto iam vino differentia in caelo. circa alpes ligneis vasis condunt tectisque cingunt atque etiam hieme gelida ignibus rigorem arcent. rarum dictu, sed aliquando visum, ruptis vasis stetere glaciatae moles, prodigii modo, quoniam vini natura non gelascit; alias ad frigus stupet tantum. mitiores plagae doliis condunt infodiuntque terrae tota aut ad portionem situs….

Meadowsweet in Archaeology

Relatively speaking, there is a significant amount of archaeological evidence for the use of meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) in ancient fermented beverages. Much of this evidence is from Bronze Age sites (mostly 2nd millennium BCE), but there are some Iron Age sites (contemporary with classical Greece and Rome) where meadowsweet residues were found. This chronological distribution…

Water Treatments: Pliny the Elder, 14.44(24)

verum et de apparatu vini dixisse conveniat, cum graeci privatim ea praecepta condiderint artemque fecerint, sicut euphronius et aristomachus et commiades et hicesius. africa gypso mitigat asperitatem nec non aliquibus partibus sui calce. graecia argilla aut marmore aut sale aut mari lenitatem excitat, italiae pars aliqua crapulana pice, ac resina condire musta volgare ei est…

Aeschylus, Suppliants ll. 952-953

Κῆρυξ ἔοιγμεν ἤδη πόλεμον ἀρεῖσθαι νέον. εἴη δὲ νίκη καὶ κράτη τοῖς ἄρσεσιν. Βασιλεύς ἀλλ᾽ ἄρσενάς τοι τῆσδε γῆς οἰκήτορας εὑρήσετ᾽ οὐ πίνοντας ἐκ κριθῶν μέθυ. Herald We seem to be about to involve ourselves in a new war Let victory and strength be with men. King Indeed, you will find that inhabitants of this…

PLINY THE ELDER, 14.51

Est et occidentis populis sua ebrietas fruge madida, pluribus modis per gallias hispaniasque, nominibus aliis, sed ratione eadem. Hispaniae iam et vestutatem ferre ea genera docuerunt. Aegyptus quoque e fruge sibi potus similes excogitavit, nullaque in parte mundi cessat ebrietas, meros quippe hauriunt tales sucos nec diluendo ut vina mitigant. At Hercules illic tellus fruges…

Ammianus Marcellinus, Rerum Gestarum 15.12.4

Vini avidum genus, affectans ad vini similitudinem multiplices potus, et inter eos humiles quidam, obtunsis ebrietate continua sensibus, quam furoris voluntariam speciem esse Catoniana sententia definivit, raptantur discursibus vagis, ut verum illud videatur quod ait defendens Fonteium Tullius: ‘Gallos post haec dilutius esse poturos quod illi venenum esse arbitrabantur.’ [The Gauls:] A people desirous of…

Unknown, Inscription (CIL XIII 10012.7)

Inscription: CERVESAR| |ESAR| Reconstructed: Cervesa r[eple] Cerv]esa r[? Fill with beer! …beer/brewers… Background Inscriptions are essential evidence for Classicists (and other scholars) because they can enlighten us about aspects of daily, political, and social life that are often unseen, colored, or not noted in extant literature. They often convey a public message that was meant…

Aulus Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina 2.18.11-12

Ex potionibus vero quaecumque ex frumento facta est, itemque lac, mulsum, defrutum, passum, vinum aut dulce aut vehemens aut mustum aut magnae vetustatis valentissimi generis est. At acetum et id vinum, quod paucorum annorum vel austerum vel pingue est, in media materia est; ideoque infirmis numquam generis alterius dari debet. Aqua omnium inbecillissima est; firmiorque…

Pre-Brewing Research: Elecampane Beer throughout History

In our never-ending quest to learn about the connection between inula and beer, we offer a summary of our research into the historical uses of elecampane (an inula species). We pursue elecampane (rather than other types of inula) because of its traditional use in beer. Elecampane (also known as Scabwort, Elf Dock, Wild Sunflower, Horseheal,…

Herodotus, The Histories 2.77

ἀρτοφαγέουσι δὲ ἐκ τῶν ὀλυρέων ποιεῦντες ἄρτους, τοὺς ἐκεῖνοι κυλλήστις ὀνομάζουσι. οἴνῳ δὲ ἐκ κριθέων πεποιημένῳ διαχρέωνται: οὐ γάρ σφι εἰσὶ ἐν τῇ χώρῃ ἄμπελοι. They eat bread that is made from a kind of wheat, which they call “cyllestis.” They use a wine made from barley: for there are no grape vines in their…