For the ancient Greeks, intoxication was common, for wine was considered a path to intellectual enlightenment—especially for Greek men of noble stature.The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

False. Greece—the birthplace of modern wine culture—was a place where wine was certainly revered, but drinking copious amounts or abusing it was definitely not approved of. To prevent intoxication, the Greeks generally diluted wine with water, claiming that only “barbarians” drank wine straight. Homer, Plato, Aristotle, and Hippocrates all wrote of wine’s beneficial effects on thought and creativity. For the ancient Greek man, drinking wine moderately was an intellectual pursuit. Additionally, the Greeks felt that taking in certain aromas was necessary to keep the body in harmony with nature, and floral-smelling wines in particular were prized since floral scents were thought to be particularly beneficial to the brain.