Ancient Greek Drinking Games (not suitable for modern parties)

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  • Опубліковано 5 чер 2024
  • In this video, I put on a bed sheet, break out the box wine, and try to recreate kottabos and some of the other drinking games played by the Greeks and Romans. Don't try this at home, kids...
    Please consider supporting this channel on Patreon:
    / toldinstone
    If you liked this video, you might also enjoy my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”
    www.amazon.com/Naked-Statues-...
    If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
    / toldinstone
    / toldinstone
    / 20993845.garrett_ryan
    Chapters:
    0:00 Introduction
    0:40 Disclaimer
    1:06 Why the Romans were bad at drinking games
    1:49 The Greek symposium
    2:30 Recreating a symposium
    3:51 First rounds
    4:28 Kottabos
    5:12 Kottabos is hard
    Thanks for watching!

КОМЕНТАРІ • 384

  • @matthewpateman9393
    @matthewpateman9393 2 роки тому +1656

    I hope that wine was classed as a business expense. Purely academic.

  • @drcoonass
    @drcoonass 2 роки тому +1146

    Seeming “uncivilized” for not mixing the wine with water makes a lot more sense in a society where sipping isn’t a thing

    • @thefreshvince879
      @thefreshvince879 2 роки тому +33

      they dont drink straight liquor, they gotta have their mixers. i imagine itd be like 65% liquor 35% mixer. straight cocktails

    • @jsgwam
      @jsgwam 2 роки тому +62

      @@thefreshvince879 it's wine?

    • @Alamyst2011
      @Alamyst2011 2 роки тому +9

      Wasnt there wine like 160 proof?

    • @Lifesizemortal
      @Lifesizemortal 2 роки тому +34

      @@thefreshvince879 and some of the content is almost always, unfortunately, lead acetate (yes, they used to use a lead-based sweetener, you can probably gather how that went)

    • @sparklesparklesparkle6318
      @sparklesparklesparkle6318 2 роки тому +6

      @@Alamyst2011 depends on the wine. I drink everynight I drink 5% ABV seltzers and a bottler of 14% sake. I don't drink the sake cuz Im a weeb I just need a low cal wine in the 14% range to be able to sleep and it's super cheap.

  • @wauliepalnuts6134
    @wauliepalnuts6134 2 роки тому +857

    *_"OK. DRINK EVERY TIME YOU HEAR SOCRATES SAY SOMETHING WISE."_*

  • @hibernianperspective6183
    @hibernianperspective6183 2 роки тому +178

    Her: "Where are you going?"
    Me: "Why to the Symposium of course!"

  • @MonkeyspankO
    @MonkeyspankO 2 роки тому +273

    Primary research: an essential foundation for all academic endeavors

  • @halcyonzenith4411
    @halcyonzenith4411 2 роки тому +194

    Socrates is being interrogated by the police. He says to the detective:
    "I'll ask the questions here."

  • @bombfog1
    @bombfog1 2 роки тому +372

    Purportedly, the Gauls would trade two slaves for one box of Franzia wine.

    • @Alamyst2011
      @Alamyst2011 2 роки тому +36

      3 goats and a hen would also suffice

    • @DanCooper404
      @DanCooper404 2 роки тому +3

      A bargain, even at twice that price!

  • @spankflaps1365
    @spankflaps1365 2 роки тому +118

    Once I drunk a full box of red wine in 1 hour, at V Festival. I then fell asleep stood up, propped up in the crowd, watching the Stereophonics.
    Afterwards my mouth looked like Dracula.
    I drunk it quickly because it was too heavy, and I didn’t realise my mates all hated red wine.

  • @robinfrederick3020
    @robinfrederick3020 2 роки тому +201

    This was a heroic endeavor, worthy of Homer's heroes. I wish I could have partaken.

    • @dungeontsar7749
      @dungeontsar7749 2 роки тому +7

      They do say science is repeatable, and may I say I am feeling downright scientific tonight

  • @nondescript2892
    @nondescript2892 2 роки тому +74

    I am at the moment travelling in northern Greece , reading your book and writing this from my
    sunbed next to the pool literally gazing at mount Olympus.....me and my travel buddy are trying to keep the drinking on an equilibrium with the ancients 😁

  • @marigold3208
    @marigold3208 2 роки тому +134

    That resulted in many fewer injuries than the time we made our own flint knives in class. (In archaeology, we dispensed with any attempt at drinking games, just went straight to getting wasted.) Also, probably a great way to get good reviews in “Rate my Professor”. Throughly wholesome.

  • @stickemuppunkitsthefunlovi4733
    @stickemuppunkitsthefunlovi4733 2 роки тому +37

    The dog looks very confused as to why you would waste perfectly good tasting puddle water.

  • @gododoof
    @gododoof 2 роки тому +36

    Have you heard of the practical joke goblets that were designed to spill the drink of a person who fills it up too high? Those were ingenious little ancient devices.

    • @TOBAPNW_
      @TOBAPNW_ 2 роки тому +9

      The drunkards cup? I had heard that was just a design; have archeologists actually discovered drunkards cups from the period?

    • @gododoof
      @gododoof 2 роки тому +12

      @@TOBAPNW_ I'm not sure if it's been found in any archaeological sites, but the Pythagoras Cup is what I'm thinking about.

    • @carlosspeicywiener7018
      @carlosspeicywiener7018 2 роки тому +2

      @@gododoof
      Also known as a greedy goblet.

    • @happytofu5
      @happytofu5 2 роки тому +1

      @@carlosspeicywiener7018 like the pot of greed yu gi oh card?!

    • @Holygiant
      @Holygiant 2 роки тому +2

      @@happytofu5 it lets you draw two cards

  • @Dejanga
    @Dejanga 2 роки тому +42

    I'm not sure how you're able to make a description of pool floaties sound sophisticated but dammit, you do it

  • @a_l_b__a607
    @a_l_b__a607 2 роки тому +77

    So close to 100k now! I’m sure you’ll get the chance to improve your Kottabos skills when celebrating the milestone.

  • @gperrin9050
    @gperrin9050 2 роки тому +25

    I really enjoy watching this channel. It hits the mark perfectly with how humor and accurate historical information are put together.

  • @pedro-on-wheels
    @pedro-on-wheels 2 роки тому +23

    thanks for a great chuckle in the middle of the day!

  • @spkspkspks
    @spkspkspks 2 роки тому +31

    This one''s a banger

  • @yesman6559
    @yesman6559 2 роки тому +5

    Yes

  • @dj-kq4fz
    @dj-kq4fz 2 роки тому +52

    Probably the best and most scholarly presentation on Rome I've ever seen. Well done sir! Thanks! Dave J

    • @Alamyst2011
      @Alamyst2011 2 роки тому +4

      Look up the epic Mike Duncan podcast The History of Rome. Probably about 60 hours of pure Roman history told very well.

    • @dj-kq4fz
      @dj-kq4fz 2 роки тому +2

      @@Alamyst2011 Thanks!

  • @gerardjacquemier5137
    @gerardjacquemier5137 2 роки тому +8

    A la fois très amusant et très savant. Bravo Garrett!

  • @sallybeach8510
    @sallybeach8510 2 роки тому +8

    I am sufficiently delighted and edified.

  • @Succumbed2Rum
    @Succumbed2Rum 2 роки тому +7

    This was absolutely brilliant. Got to love the commitment. 👏

  • @primordialpouch1139
    @primordialpouch1139 2 роки тому +4

    Just found your channel last month, keep killing it sir!

  • @ThisNameWasTaken0
    @ThisNameWasTaken0 2 роки тому +8

    I love how much you love antiquity. Keep making the great vids.

  • @donaldauguston9740
    @donaldauguston9740 2 роки тому +11

    I love these videos. Your friends are really good sports.

  • @ruthanneseven
    @ruthanneseven 2 роки тому +3

    Heroic effort! 😂
    I think the ratio was half water though. Crappy red wine will always taste better if decanted for an hour or so. All you were missing, was an already-toasted symposium crasher like Alcibiades, to liven things up. Sharing your couch, complaining about not getting enough attention from Socrates. All things Venus...
    I'm gonna laugh all day over this one 😂👋.
    New sub!
    After a decade of research on 415 bce, I have a few questions.
    I'm taking it up again after a long hiatus.
    It's going to be very exciting to see what I may have glossed over 25 yrs ago!

  • @alanjackson1691
    @alanjackson1691 2 роки тому +4

    Loving that wholesome "farmer tan" at 2:20 😎

  • @Neillan
    @Neillan 2 роки тому +63

    Even if it's historical accuracy is suspect, this was pretty wholesome, ngl. Really enjoyed the video!

  • @mikeross641
    @mikeross641 2 роки тому +7

    How unexpectedly hilarious and as usual, informative! :-)

  • @IrrelevantGeOff
    @IrrelevantGeOff 2 роки тому +8

    Just got the book! Can’t wait to read more about their debauchery lol

  • @Crossword131
    @Crossword131 2 роки тому +1

    I love this channel so much. It feels like someone dug into my id and said "yep, we can do that." And then did -- with full scholarly attention to detail.

  • @eternalrecurrence6042
    @eternalrecurrence6042 2 роки тому +2

    this was a dope learning experience thanks man

  • @cameronfielder4955
    @cameronfielder4955 2 роки тому +1

    I love your content Garrett, and this recreation you put together was awesome! You’re great, man.

  • @user-vh1si2zl9w
    @user-vh1si2zl9w 2 роки тому +32

    What’s your background in classics? Do you have a good reading list for classics? I’ve read SPQR by Mary beard, The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan, 1177 BC The Year Civilization Collapsed, and lives of Caesars by Suetonius but want to read more books about the classical period by contemporary and classical authors. Also I’ve been here since you had like 3k subscribers it’s great to see your channel growing so quick.

    • @toldinstone
      @toldinstone  2 роки тому +43

      I'm a professional classicist by training (my PhD is in Greek and Roman history). For an extensive reading list - once you're done, of course, with my own book! - I recommend checking out the ancient section of the AskHistorians reading list, which I helped to assemble.
      Thanks for your commitment to my channel!

    • @user-vh1si2zl9w
      @user-vh1si2zl9w 2 роки тому +7

      @@toldinstone thanks for making this great and engaging content! I just graduated college but now I wish I studied the classics.

    • @Alamyst2011
      @Alamyst2011 2 роки тому +3

      @@user-vh1si2zl9w I am a life long addict of Roman History.
      If you have not already listened to Mike Duncan's epic podcast The History of Roman Empire I would think that a very fitting place to start. Mike does an excellent job of mentioning historical authors.
      Personally I would recommend the Bibliotehca Historia. Diodorus Siculus was a counterpart of Scipio Africanus and he details a great, albeit embellished early history.
      Livy is a great source but so very much is missing.
      The Mediations by Emperor Aurelies are also interesting.

    • @sparklesparklesparkle6318
      @sparklesparklesparkle6318 2 роки тому +1

      @@user-vh1si2zl9w its never too late to keep researching. School just prepares you for a life of scholarly pursuit. Lemme tell you mate you can have a wife or you can have science. Just be glad you have science if nothing else.

    • @user-vh1si2zl9w
      @user-vh1si2zl9w 2 роки тому +8

      @@toldinstone I just requested that my local library gets your book and they said they will! I’m excited to read it

  • @kenefdz
    @kenefdz 2 роки тому +17

    Never have I seen a box of Franzia consumed so intelligently! Loved this video -- had me chuckling all the way through, especially when it came time to substitute items with contemporary ones. Kottabos will never be the same at my house!

  • @drpavel_
    @drpavel_ 2 роки тому +1

    This is such a wonderful channel

  • @sparklesparklesparkle6318
    @sparklesparklesparkle6318 2 роки тому +2

    im glad you and your friends had a wonderful evening.

  • @zac2780
    @zac2780 2 роки тому +1

    Hands down my favourite chanel

  • @GrandDawggy
    @GrandDawggy 2 роки тому +4

    I enjoy the light hearted tone of this one 👍

  • @kenboydart
    @kenboydart 2 роки тому +3

    Now where else can you find information like this on the net ???? Huh ? Nowhere …………..love it

  • @douglascoxjr.3117
    @douglascoxjr.3117 2 роки тому +1

    Omg...this is hilarious..so glad i found ur channel

  • @twin3290
    @twin3290 2 роки тому +1

    love this vid

  • @NLvideomaster
    @NLvideomaster 2 роки тому +1

    I love this!

  • @mmmhhhwaffles4785
    @mmmhhhwaffles4785 2 роки тому +1

    Great stuff

  • @cgygflkj
    @cgygflkj 2 роки тому

    Absolutely amazing

  • @factsoverfiction7826
    @factsoverfiction7826 2 роки тому +2

    Kottabos must've been invented by a wine merchant. 😉

  • @quandaledingle113
    @quandaledingle113 2 роки тому +1

    Love this vid.

  • @jbo7615
    @jbo7615 2 роки тому +1

    This is awesome

  • @nancyM1313
    @nancyM1313 2 роки тому +1

    Well done👏🏾

  • @koksalceylan9032
    @koksalceylan9032 2 роки тому +1

    Fantasticly made,funny.

  • @novalone3211
    @novalone3211 2 роки тому +1

    This video has such good vibes Gods bless 🙏🙏

  • @rustyshackelford3590
    @rustyshackelford3590 2 роки тому +2

    I had a life in Ancient Greek class today and this was the subject of the day what a coincidence.

  • @MerkhVision
    @MerkhVision 2 роки тому +6

    That looked like fun! I wanna try that with some friends some time

  • @shawna620
    @shawna620 2 роки тому +1

    😄 Enjoyed that!

  • @234dB
    @234dB 2 роки тому +1

    Epic Doc.

  • @susangailkoch3935
    @susangailkoch3935 2 роки тому

    Best video on UA-cam! 😂

  • @microcolonel
    @microcolonel 2 роки тому +1

    I wish all symposia were at least a little more like this. Just me and the boys, some floutists, and watered down wine.

  • @DanGoodShotHD
    @DanGoodShotHD 2 роки тому +2

    Use of over the top proper language made this video hilarious! Good show.

  • @Suntanned
    @Suntanned 2 роки тому +1

    best. video. yet.

  • @Angelfeather100
    @Angelfeather100 2 роки тому +3

    Among all gathered for the drinking game, dog included, you Garrett are the Greekest of them all. That eyebrow at 2:27!!… Your much awaited book is supposed to arrive by post in 2 days. Can’t wait! Question: you had a gender-mixed society for your game, but in ancient Greece were women also supposed to attend these drinking games, or was it just for men?

    • @toldinstone
      @toldinstone  2 роки тому +4

      Very glad to hear it!
      Greek symposia were all male, though female entertainers were often involved.

    • @Angelfeather100
      @Angelfeather100 2 роки тому +2

      @@toldinstone Thank you for answering, Garrett. So the attendance to the celebration was not as strict as for the Bona Dea in ancient Rome, with that famous incident and the drama concerning Julius Caesar’s wife - whom he divorced as a result… (because she should have been above any suspicion). Famous festivals in ancient Rome might be another interesting topic for a future video.

    • @deewesthill4705
      @deewesthill4705 2 роки тому +1

      Heteiras, a class of young courtesans and entertainers, sometimes attended symposia.

  • @FuzzyLoad
    @FuzzyLoad 2 роки тому +2

    That symposium ratio could have been legendary

  • @richardsleep2045
    @richardsleep2045 2 роки тому +1

    Got to love historical recreations :)

  • @cherylsmith4826
    @cherylsmith4826 2 роки тому +1

    I came for the topic but stayed for the bedsheets

  • @novalone3211
    @novalone3211 2 роки тому +3

    "Stay thirst my friends, for knowledge"
    😂

  • @victorstroganov8135
    @victorstroganov8135 2 роки тому +2

    my favorite video has now been defined

  • @416dl
    @416dl 2 роки тому +2

    Jovial times...haha. As for that mixing bowl; hope you will explore a little bit about what, besides water, they mixed into their wine; I refer to the recent explorations on that subject by your fellow classical researcher Brian Muraresku and his remarkable book "the Immortality Key".

  • @kellyb1420
    @kellyb1420 2 роки тому +1

    Loved the thumb nail!

  • @thefreshvince879
    @thefreshvince879 2 роки тому +6

    i honestly think if this channel had higher production quality, it would have more views, but that's not what it's about. its about information first and i cant get enough ancient history. i love stuff like this! keep it up!

  • @Gabtchko
    @Gabtchko 2 роки тому +1

    You are my favorite historian :)

  • @Randoplants
    @Randoplants 2 роки тому +3

    I love the low budget nature of this, how jazzed everyone looks to be there, and also how this seems like a fantastic way to socialize while social distancing.

  • @brianmckeever5280
    @brianmckeever5280 10 місяців тому +1

    Well...that looks like a lot of fun.

  • @semjones564
    @semjones564 2 роки тому +1

    Please make a series about ancient Egyptian history :)

  • @jamestiberiuskirk4713
    @jamestiberiuskirk4713 2 роки тому

    Dude the picture at minute 1:39 is from a book that I remember from my childhood. One of my favourites. I think I still have it somewhere.

  • @henryeccleston7381
    @henryeccleston7381 2 роки тому +1

    To speak as a priest of Dionysus, I will absolutely be doing this sort of thing

  • @gross_punk9539
    @gross_punk9539 2 роки тому +1

    Oh this is going to be interesting

  • @jorgeo1492
    @jorgeo1492 2 роки тому +1

    6:03 lmao we resorted to desperate measures

  • @zaptolite2719
    @zaptolite2719 2 роки тому +1

    This video is so academic i love it

  • @Metroidkeeper
    @Metroidkeeper 2 роки тому +1

    As soon as I saw the thumbnail I had to give the video a like 🤣

  • @ciaotiziocaius4899
    @ciaotiziocaius4899 2 роки тому +1

    This was so funny to watch

  • @spunj
    @spunj 2 роки тому +4

    Among everything I learned, I'm quite interested in the fact that I learned the origin of the word, Crater.

  • @ostsan8598
    @ostsan8598 Рік тому +1

    Ah yes, that best of all ancient Greek cuisine: pizza.

  • @MiciusPorcius
    @MiciusPorcius 2 роки тому +1

    I second this; best thumbnail

  • @jimjimsauce
    @jimjimsauce 2 роки тому +5

    all jokes aside, your hostas are lovely!!

    • @andrenewcomb3708
      @andrenewcomb3708 2 роки тому

      Do they have trouble getting light? Or is your house on the south side?

  • @bes03c
    @bes03c 2 роки тому

    I laughed aloud multiple times throughout this video.

  • @silver_tongue9644
    @silver_tongue9644 2 роки тому

    I love it:D

  • @playmsbk
    @playmsbk 2 роки тому +2

    For the classical Greek period Athens symposium that this recreation draws from, I think that 2 parts water 1 part wine would be considered too undiluted, in my knowledge a 4 to 1 ratio was the norm. However if you have knowledge to the contrary, I'd love to learn.

    • @toldinstone
      @toldinstone  2 роки тому +4

      There was always a range of opinion about the proper proportion (I seem to recall a lengthy discussion in Athenaeus to that effect), but most of the wine at symposia was probably between two-thirds and three-quarters water. I kept the wine at my party a little stronger, since Franzia does not dilute well...

  • @Mxkckenfjjckx
    @Mxkckenfjjckx 2 роки тому +1

    incredible

  • @brandonjohnson801
    @brandonjohnson801 2 роки тому +1

    LOL, this is great.

  • @libslayer4280
    @libslayer4280 2 роки тому

    The exact recreation of the ancient wine box was spot on. Lol

  • @lightdark00
    @lightdark00 2 роки тому +1

    6:02 got a great laugh out of me! 😆

  • @JJoeisCooking
    @JJoeisCooking 2 роки тому +2

    I'm sure finding people willing to work for wine and pizza was pretty easy. Good times.

  • @freeman7079
    @freeman7079 2 роки тому

    Bunch a dorks! I love it!

  • @neusci
    @neusci 2 роки тому +3

    HAHAHAHA! Man! I love this! I'm a fan, first saw your stuff on reddit. Love the stuff you put out there! I ordered your book, too. I'm in academia (sort of, clinical not traditional) myself. Would love if I could get my copy of your book signed. If you're cool with that and have a PO Box or University address, please DM me it. P.S. Costco has Kirkland boxed wine that is actually not terrible. Way better than Franzia.

    • @toldinstone
      @toldinstone  2 роки тому +2

      Glad you enjoyed it! Unfortunately, I don't have a PO box for signing books (I've been encouraging people to buy signed copies from bookstores I've visited) - but I hope to do some sort of bona fide book tour next year. With any luck, I'll be coming to a city near you then!

    • @neusci
      @neusci 2 роки тому +1

      @@toldinstone Gotcha. I pre-ordered a while back, so didn't follow about the signing. I'll keep an eye out for your tour. May I recommend South Orange County in CA as a stop? 😁

  • @WorgenGrrl
    @WorgenGrrl Рік тому

    "For sensible men, I prepare three kraters: one for health, the second for love and pleasure and the third for sleep. After the third one is drained, wise men go home. The Fourth krater is not mine any more -- it belongs to bad behavior; the fifth is for shouting; the sixth is for rudeness and insults; the seventh is for fights; the eighth is for breaking the furniture; the ninth is for depression; the tenth is for madness and unconsciousness." Dionysos in a play by Eubulus

  • @marcussmith4913
    @marcussmith4913 2 роки тому +1

    Im not sure what im watching here but was entertaining though thanks now I know some drinking games.

  • @susanjaeger5645
    @susanjaeger5645 2 роки тому

    I gotta say... That was a riot Alice!!
    😂😀😭🥂🍷

  • @Booka60
    @Booka60 2 роки тому +1

    OMG! I feel like I just went through Ancient Greece with my mouth open!

  • @alkeenan7906
    @alkeenan7906 2 роки тому +3

    I need to watch this later but lmao. I used to steal Franzia and sneak it into school in water bottles.

    • @phoule76
      @phoule76 2 роки тому +1

      like a modern Theseus

  • @terrylynch6687
    @terrylynch6687 2 роки тому +1

    LOL this is class