Deipnosophistae

And Alexis says somewhere—

1. Man's nature doth in much resemble wine:
2. For young men and new wine do both need age
3. To ripen their too warm unseason'd strength,
4. And let their violence evaporate.
5. But when the grosser portions are worked off,
6. And all the froth is skilsm'd, then both are good';
7. The wine is drinkable, the man is wise,
8. And both in future pleasant while they last.

And according to the bard of Cyrene—

1. Wine is like fire when 'tis to man applied,
2. Or like the storm that sweeps the Libyan tide;
3. The furious wind the lowest depths can reach,
4. And wine robs man of knowledge, sense, and speech.

But in some other place Alexis says the contrary to what I have just cited:—

1. A. Man in no one respect resembles wine:
2. For man by age is made intolerable;
3. But age improves all wine.
4. B. Yes; for old wines cheer us,
5. But old men only snarl, abuse, and jeer us.

And Panyasis says—

1. Wine is like fire, an aid and sweet relief,
2. Wards off all ills, and comforts every grief;
3. Wine can of every feast the joys enhance,
4. It kindles soft desire, it leads the dance.
5. Think not then, childlike, much of solid food,
6. But stick to wine, the only real good.

And again—

1. Good wine's the gift which God has given
2. To man alone beneath the heaven;
3. Of dance and song the genial sire,
4. Of friendship gay and soft desire;
5. Yet rule it with a tighten'd rein,
6. Nor moderate wisdom's rules disdain;
7. For when uncheck'd there's nought runs faster,—
8. A useful slave, but cruel master.

Timæus of Tauromenium relates that there was a certain house at Agrigentum called the Trireme, on this account:— Some young men got drunk in it, and got so mad when excited by the wine, as to think that they were sailing in a trireme, and that they were being tossed about on the sea m a violent storm; and so completely did they lose their senses, that they threw all the furniture, and all the sofas and chairs and beds, out of window, as if they were throwing them into the sea, fancying that the captain had ordered them to lighten the ship because of the storm. And though a crowd collected round the house and began to plunder what was thrown out, even that did not cure the young men of their frenzy. And the next day, when the prætors came to the house, there were the young men still lying, sea-sick as they said; and, when the magistrates questioned them, they replied that they had been in great danger from a storm, and had consequently been compelled to lighten the ship by throwing all their superfluous cargo into the sea. Arid while the magistrates marvelled at the bewilderment of the men, one of them, who seemed to be older than the rest, said,

I, O Tritons, was so frightened that I threw myself down under the benches, and lay there as low down and as much out of sight as I could.

And the magistrates forgave their folly, and dismissed them with a reproof, and a warning not to indulge in too much wine in future. And they, professing to be much obliged to them, said,

If we arrive in port after having escaped this terrible storm, we will erect in our own country statues of you as our saviours in a conspicuous place, along with those of the other gods of the sea, as having appeared to us at a seasonable time.

And from this circumstance that house was called the Trireme.