Social Pharmacology: The Rules of Drug Taking: Wine and Poppy Derivatives in the Ancient World. IV. The Rules of Temperance

Abstract

Drinking in moderation was considered fully appropriate for Greek citizens and, accordingly, wine played a central role in the symposium, where adult men met to enjoy poems, music, conversation, and sex. To reach the goal of remaining ‘euphoric’ without getting intoxicated, wine was drunk diluted. Usually, three parts of water were added to one part of wine. Since drinking diluted wine produces a slow rise of alcoholemia, the pharmacological rationale of this habit seems to stand on two factors: 1) feeling relaxed and euphoric are mainly perceived during me rise of alcoholemia; 2) alcohol intake can be titrated as long as intoxication is not reached.