Try This Secret Roman Party Trick

The Greeks and the Romans were known for their parties. They threw huge ones. Seneca famously owned—not rented—three hundred ivory tables for entertaining. Imagine that. The ancients also knew how to drink. Cato liked to drink. So did Socrates. There’s no evidence that Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus and Seneca didn’t eitherBut the accounts of their drinking don’t square one to one with our modern times. You see, the Greeks and the Romans were famous for watering down their wine. In fact, anyone who didn’t water down their wine was considered barbaric—someone who was out of control. The poet Hesiod—a favorite of Marcus and Seneca and many of the Stoics—actually said that three parts water and one part wine was the proper ratio. Nobody but the drunks drank their alcohol neat. For much of history the symbol of mixing water and wine has been a kind of symbol for that essential Stoic virtue that we talk about so much here: Moderation. Their wine was quite strong in those days, so to take this intoxicating but enjoyable pleasure and dilute it a bit? That was not only necessary, but it was an important metaphor. It’s one we should think about today. What vices or indulgences do we have that we might “add a little water” to? Maybe if you drink soda, you can start mixing in some diet. Or if you like lemonade or tea, you can mix a little bit of sweetened into your unsweetened—rather than the other way around. Water down your television time by reading during the commercial breaks. Water down your night out with friends by listening to a podcast or an audiobook on the way out. Water down your workout regime with rest days. Water down your whirlwind love affair with time apart. Moderation is key. Don’t overdo anything. Don’t take virtue or vice in its pure or unadulterated form. Balance. Soften. Enjoy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 📢 Share | ⚙️ Manage Subscription

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:06Ryan Holiday?

  Welcome to The Daily Stoic, where each day we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living the good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2,000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at DailyStoic.com. Try this secret Roman party trick. The Greeks and Romans were known for their parties. They threw huge ones. Seneca famously owned, not rented, some 300 tables for entertaining. Imagine that. The ancients also knew how to drink. Cato liked to drink, so did Socrates.

• 0:47Ryan Holiday?

  There's no evidence that Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus in Seneca didn't either. But the accounts of their drinking don't square one-to-one with our modern times. You see, the Greeks and the Romans were famous for watering down their wine. In fact, anyone who didn't water down their wine was considered barbaric, someone who is out of control. The poet Hesiod, a favorite of Marcus Aurelius and Seneca and many of the Stoics, actually said that "three parts water and one part wine" was the proper ratio. "Nobody but the drunks drank their alcohol neat." For much of history, the symbol of mixing water and wine has been a kind of symbol

• 1:27Ryan Holiday?

  for that essential Stoic virtue that we talk so much about here: moderation. Wine was quite strong in those days, so to take this intoxicating but enjoyable pleasure and dilute it a bit, that was not only necessary, but it was an important metaphor. It's one we should think about today. What vices or indulgences do we have that we might add a little water to? Maybe if you drink soda, you can start mixing in some diet. Or if you like lemonade or tea, you can mix a little bit of sweetened into your unsweetened, rather than the other way around. Water down your television time by reading during the commercial breaks. Water down your night out with friends by listening to a podcast or an audiobook on the way out.

• 2:10Ryan Holiday?

  Water down your workout regimen with rest days. Water down your whirlwind love affair with time apart. Moderation is key. Don't overdo anything. Don't take virtue or vice in its pure or unadulterated form. Balance, soften, enjoy.