Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-15
BIG BOXERS OF OTHER DAYS
some of the Ancients Were Past Mas
ters In the Art Of Getting
Soused.


The world is nearer real temperance to-
day than at any time in it's history.
Tcctotalcrs may not believe this, but II
they read the following they will realize
that the world at least is forgetting how to
get really good and drunk" There are n
few persons who have gained regulations
for tho amount OF food and drink they
habitualy consume but only a few. In
comparison with previous generations, this
is most abstemious age, The men of 60
or 20 years ago wcro great drinkers, but
for pointers on how TO get drunk and spend
money it is necessary to turn to the an
clients.
Caesar. on a certain occasion, while drunk
ON wine, is said TO have given Eutychus
his charioteer, a tip amounting to $4,000
the largest money tip on record. The most
reckless OF our modern millionaire thinks
he's making an awful splash when he tips
his chauffeur a twenty dollar note.
one OF the Caesars fed his charger on
wine aud barley in golden vase One
~ his dinners cost. Sj,00O,GC0 His supper
bin for four months was S2OOOOOOO.
Philip Of Macedon was "A drunkard He
always left the banquet table staggering
Alexander the Great his son. inherited
the weakness FOR drink. 1t took him two
days and two nights to sleep off a royal
jag. lie died OF drink at the age Of 80
years,
Dionysius, the younger, tyrant Of Sicily.
went on sprees which lasted three months
al time. lie lost his eyesight through
oyerindulgence.
Nero was in the habit of sitting down
at noon and sticking there until midnight,
eating and drinking all the time.
Tiberius was a sincere drunkard After
becoming emperor Of Rome he was drunk
often that his army nicknamed him
"Biberius." meaning "tippler" He had two
pals Faccus and Piso, with whom he
went on sprees' Al the weeping stage they
deplored the prevalence of drunkenness.
Nowhere In all the world today will you
find as many confirmed drunkards as there
were among the Thraeians, the Iberians.
the Celts or the Scythians. The man who
didn't get drunk every day or two was re-
garded as queer.
The Greeks We're moderate drinkers until
they began to copy the luxury OF the Per
sian feasts. The Romans Initiated the
Greeks, Then the whole world went on a
mad drunk. II was a saturnaha,
In the beginning no wrong was thought
OF drinking and the moralists even advised
drink to dispel melancholy. Hippocrates
upheld drinking and earnestly advised
people TO drown their sorrows IN wine
When shall we live II not now?" was
the giddy advice Of the sober Seneca.
The Romans carried over-induIgence ia
an extreme never equaled in another age
Gluttony and intemperance reigned and
huge fortunes were spent in single re-
pasts.
Clsudius was noted Tor the rare wines he
served, lie often had COO guests at his
table. Like Tiberius, he died from eating
the wrong kind Of mushrooms.
Caligula owes his niche in the hall OF
fame TO the drunken banquets with which
he made even Rome marvel. The excuses
made fashionable by such potentates a.
Lucullus Nero, Nerres. Tiberius, Caligula
Nitellius and Domtian really began In IN,
days OF Pompey, and they marked tn,
beginning OF the end Of the republic
At the feasts OF these rulers the am
phorae, enormous vases, some with a ca
paCity OF many barrels. were filled viii
wine Even the fountains flowed with wine
which was Dipped up by youthful servants
ard handed 10 the guests while young girl
sang and danced
OF the many feasts given by Vitelliu,
not one cost less than 81 500. and his reigr
was almost continuous debauch. Com
modus was a notorious drunkard, and Sep
.hnus was not much better Severus die,
of over-indulgence IN the flowing bowl.
The Romans borrowed from the Greek
the custom Of appointing the master o
the feast, whose duty II was to name Tn
number OF cups OF wine each guest Shout,
be allowed 10 drink.
Il was famous sport 10 see a guest drinl
cup OF wine for every letter in the nam
n his mistress.
The murrhine vases possessed by Ner
We're the marvel Of the age. and his wine
were the rarest TO be obtained anywher
In the world. His orgies baffled descrip
tion.
The Sybsrites. bestowed public honors Of
those who gave the most splendid ban