The ancient Greeks and Romans supplied their troops with wine for both practical and cultural reasons. Drinking diluted wine was safer than water, which was often contaminated. Wine also provided nutrients. Transporting wine was important economically and for trade. Troops received wine allowances, and establishing vineyards near military outposts ensured supply. The Greeks and Romans spread viticulture with their expanding empires.

1. How the Ancient Armies moved their booze.

2. Whilst wine was important part of ancient Greek and
roman civilisations, it seems counterproductive to
have your troops kept under the influence whilst
expanding your empire and waging war on your
enemies.
So why did the Greeks and Romans go to so much
trouble to keep their troops supplied with wine?

3.  Back in Ancient time, most readily available water was unfit for
consumption, as it was often sullied by waste products from surrounding
settlements
 Due to the pH and antiseptic properties of wine, it was generally always
mixed with water before consumption to kill off any pathogens
 Wine was also mixed with honey, spices and other substances, which
meant it was a high calorie supplement full of trace minerals and vitamins
which was of benefit to the mainly grain diet of the soldiers
 Getting drunk and drinking undiluted wine was considered barbaric and
moderation was key. Drinking watered down wine in Ancient Greece and
Rome was much like drinking Tea in Britain or Green tea in China
“Wine is something truly marvellous for Man. Both in sickness as well as in health, if we make use
of it with good purpose and in its just measure”.- Hippocrates

4.  Analgesic purpose in ill health and during treatment
 Antiseptic properties used to treat wounds
 Ancient Antidepressant
 Used to cure urinary infections, gout, halitosis, snakebite
and many more!!
“In wine there is health” (In vino sanitas) - Pliny

5.  With the introduction of Dionysus and Bacchus, there
came the need to worship and celebrate these Gods ....
With plenty of WINE! (and other sordid activities)
 The intellectuals would hold symposiums -philosophical
discussions - which always centered around wine.
 As previously stated drinking wine was only done in
moderation, but it was partaken of often.
“Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.” -
Aristophanes

6.  One of the most important reasons!
 The wine trade was a huge part of the economic
stronghold of the Greeks and Romans. It provided
substantial financial stability.
 It was used to trade for slaves from Gaul (France),
which then helped to increase production.
 It also burgeoned the pottery and shipping trades.

7.  Ok, so they needed wine ... But did it matter what it
was? In short YES.
 Just like today, if you had money ... You brought the
best vintages, from the best places.
 Wines from different areas and vintages had acclaim
and reputations, and were sought after as such.
 They even had wine writers and critics!
 The Romans gave everyone (including slaves) a wine
allowance of 5 litres a day – poorest quality of course!
“On one occasion some one put a very little wine into a [glass], and said that it was
sixteen years old. 'It is very small for its age,' said Gnathaena” - Athenaeus

9.  The Greeks were the first to mass produce wine for
trade.
 As their colonies expanded so did the production and
need for wine.
 The Greeks expanded via Alexander the Great from
Greece and Macedonia, throughout the Mediterranean
to include parts of Persia, India and Egypt.

11.  The Greeks were the first to have appellations of origin
 They were excellent at recognising environments that
were favourable for growing grapes
 They brought their own grape varieties to southern
Italy in the 8th century BC.
 They introduced their winemaking techniques as far as
France, Spain, Italy and Sicily.

12.  Athens fell to the Romans in 86 BC
 The Romans took on the Greek appreciation and reverence for wine
and it was as important in their culture as it was in the Greeks.
 The Roman empire became expansive and powerful and covered a huge
amount of territory. Including Western Europe, Hispania
(Spain), Gaul (France), Judea, North Africa, Most of Germany, Italy and
Egypt
 The fall of the Roman empire was in 1453 when the Turks invaded .....
Whose Muslim heritage all but put an end to the Wine industry.
“There is a devil in every berry of the grape” – The Koran

14.  The Greek territory was largely confined to areas close to the
coast or accessible by river. Hence most of their transportation
to the troops was by shipping.
 Troops had to transport their own supplies by foot or by horse
and cart in inland areas.
 Troops would pillage and plunder existing settlements where
possible
 Greeks transported vines to new settlements and nurtured
existing vines. The Greeks were responsible for introducing
grape varieties far and wide. Moscato is an example of a vine
which has Ancient Greek heritage.

15.  The Greeks used earthenware amphorae to transport
wine on ships.

16.  These amphorae had several advantages for
transportation.
I. The shape of them meant that a lot of the sediment in
the wine settled to the bottom whilst being transported
II. The thin opening in the neck minimised oxidation
III. When sealed with clay, the wine was able to be matured
IV. They could be transported in an upright position in vast
quantities
- Lyon in France is built upon millions of old broken
Amphorae from Ancient times.

17. - The Romans took things a step further. They used to put a
protective layer of olive oil over the wine in the neck of the
amphorae to prevent oxidation
- Sometimes the Amphorae was lined with resin, which imparted
flavour to the wine (Retsina), or with different metals –
lead, copper etc
 Preserving grapes was also common place, by drying out the
grapes in layers of chaff or by hanging them out to dry, this
meant the raisin like grapes could be used to make very sweet
wines later on.
 Honey and Sea water were added to wines to help preserve it.
 The Romans also introduced the use of wooden barrels for the
storage and transportation of wine.

18.  The Romans had a very advanced transport system of roads that
were built by the Army. It was more economical however to
transport by boat where possible.
 The easiest and by far most important way the Ancient Romans
and Greeks got wine to the military was the colonisation of new
settlements.
 Upon retirement the soldiers of the roman army were given 1.5
hectares of land each, many of which was put to use as
producing vineyards (remember money was to be made!)
 They imported vines and taught many of the local people how to
make wine, which allowed for easy access to wine!
 As the map of the Roman Empire shows, many of the Great wine
producing areas in the old world were established by the
Romans, they were responsible for bringing many grape
varieties, viticulture and wine making to France, Germany, Spain
which are now some of the greatest producers in the world.

19.  Successful battles = more land, more money and more
slaves
 Money gets invested into more wars and retiring
soldiers get 1.5 hectare each.
 Land farmed by cheap slaves.
 People transport produce by roads made by the army
 Encourage growth in supporting industries (pottery,
shipping etc)

20.  There were 3 main classes of product.
1. Local small batches for local consumption
transported in 500ltr ox skins (cullei)
2. High Quality prestige wines that could be aged and
sold to the elite
3. Low quality, high volume wines “:cauponae” –
internationally traded for large scale
consumption, that were mixed with sea water and
lime for preservation!

21.  Wine was extremely important to the Ancient Greeks and
Romans
 The Greeks and Romans were responsible for the spread of many
grape varieties, viticulture and winemaking techniques in the old
world.
 They came up with some very ingenious ways in which to
preserve and transport the wine to their troops and expanding
colonies
 Wine was a highly valuable trading commodity, which helped to
fuel the Roman Empire’s financial power, which in turn helped it
to increase its size

22. Mariamilani Rome website. Retrieved 29/07/2012
 http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/ancient_roman_tra
nsportation.htm
Trends in Transport:Military Supply Structures as Measures of
Centrality and Localism Report. Retrieved 01/08/2012
 http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/tempus/archives_files/Riley.pdf
The logistics of the Roman Army at war Book. Retrieved 01/08/2012
 http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=LfRiXN5hhCUC&printsec=f
rontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=
false
History of wine online article. Retrieved 01/08/2012
 http://www.arenaflowers.com/wine_club_online/history_of_wi
ne

23. Biblical perspectives on wine. Retrieved 29/07/2012
http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/books/wine_in_the_bible/3.html
Article on Wine from classical times to the 19th century. Retrieved
08/08/2012
 http://www.enotes.com/wine-from-classical-times-nineteenth-
century-reference/wine-from-classical-times-nineteenth-century
Article on wine drinking in the roman world. Retrieved 09/08/2012
 http://suite101.com/article/wine-drinking-in-the-roman-world-
a100462
Greek winemaking website. Retrieved 9/08/2012
 http://www.greekwinemakers.com/czone/history/2ancient.shtml
Map of Alexander the greats territory. Retrieved 10/08/2012
 http://www.theintellectualdevotional.com/blog/wp-
content/uploads/2010/01/alexandermap1.jpg
Map of ancient roman empire. Retrieved 11/08/2012
 http://www.aug.edu/~cshotwel/2001.Rome.htm