Chian wine
Encyclopedia
Chian wine is wine from the Greek
island of Chios
. It was among the most prized wines of classical antiquity
, and, according to Theopompus
and Greek mythology, was the first red wine, then called "black wine".
starting around the 5th century BC, as attested by the large number of Chian amphora
e discovered in modern-day excavations there. It was later characterized by Plutarch
and Athenaios as having been an expensive luxury good in classical Greece
, though they may have exaggerated somewhat, as inscriptions on excavated amphorae seem to suggest only a moderately expensive price of two drachmas per chous, versus about 2 to 10 obols
per chous for local wine. Athenaios also quotes Hermippus
praising Chian wine's quality in the 5th century BC, and Strabo
some centuries later considered wine from the Chian district of Ariusium to be the finest in Greece.
. It was mainly prescribed in small quantities for medical purposes, as was then often done with rare food and drink, and was otherwise considered an extreme luxury: Horace
, writing in the 1st century BC, had his character Nasidienus in the Satires serve Chian wine at an excessively sumptuous dinner party. After about the 1st century AD it became more common at the increasingly lavish private and public festivities of Rome, as well as continuing to be well regarded for medicinal purposes, and was ranked among the finest wines by Galen
and Pliny
.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island of Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
. It was among the most prized wines of classical antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
, and, according to Theopompus
Theopompus
Theopompus was a Greek historian and rhetorician- Biography :Theopompus was born on Chios. In early youth he seems to have spent some time at Athens, along with his father, who had been exiled on account of his Laconian sympathies...
and Greek mythology, was the first red wine, then called "black wine".
Greece
Chian wine was exported in great quantities to AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
starting around the 5th century BC, as attested by the large number of Chian amphora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
e discovered in modern-day excavations there. It was later characterized by Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
and Athenaios as having been an expensive luxury good in classical Greece
Classical Greece
Classical Greece was a 200 year period in Greek culture lasting from the 5th through 4th centuries BC. This classical period had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire and greatly influenced the foundation of Western civilizations. Much of modern Western politics, artistic thought, such as...
, though they may have exaggerated somewhat, as inscriptions on excavated amphorae seem to suggest only a moderately expensive price of two drachmas per chous, versus about 2 to 10 obols
Obolus
The obol was an ancient silver coin. In Classical Athens, there were six obols to the drachma, lioterally "handful"; it could be excahnged for eight chalkoi...
per chous for local wine. Athenaios also quotes Hermippus
Hermippus
Hermippus was the one-eyed Athenian writer of the Old Comedy who flourished during the Peloponnesian War. He was the son of Lysis, and the brother of the comic poet Myrtilus. He was younger than Telecleides and older than Eupolis and Aristophanes. According to the Suda, he wrote forty plays, and...
praising Chian wine's quality in the 5th century BC, and Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
some centuries later considered wine from the Chian district of Ariusium to be the finest in Greece.
Rome
Before the 1st century AD, Chian wine was rare and expensive in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. It was mainly prescribed in small quantities for medical purposes, as was then often done with rare food and drink, and was otherwise considered an extreme luxury: Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, writing in the 1st century BC, had his character Nasidienus in the Satires serve Chian wine at an excessively sumptuous dinner party. After about the 1st century AD it became more common at the increasingly lavish private and public festivities of Rome, as well as continuing to be well regarded for medicinal purposes, and was ranked among the finest wines by Galen
Galen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus , better known as Galen of Pergamon , was a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher...
and Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
.