The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-04-06
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RAPID PACE IN TEMPERANCE
World Is Forgetting How to Get Drunk
-Ancients Spent immense Sums
of Money on Wine
Ry JOHN WATSON WHYTEl

By JOHN WATSON WHYTE)
The world is nearer real temper
ance today than at any time in its his
tory.
Teetotalers may not believe this, but
if they read the following they will
realize that the world at least is for
getting how to get really good and
drunk. The men of 60 or 70 years
ago were great drinkers, but for point
ers on how to get drunk and spend
money it is necessary to turn to the
ancients
Caesar on a certain occasion while
drunk with wine is said to have given
Eutychus, his Charloteer, a tip
amounting to $4,000 the largest
money tip on record.
Philip of Macedon was a drunkard.
He always left the banquet table stag
gering. Alexander the Great, his son,
inherited his weakness for drink. 1t
took him two days and two nights to
sleep off a banquet. He died of drink
at the age of 80
Dionysius, the younger, tyrant of ST.
city, went on sprees which lasted three
months at a time. He lost his eyesight
through Overindulgence.
Nero was in the habit of sitting at
noon and sticking there until midnight,
eating and drinking all the time.
Tfberius was a sincere drunkard.
After becoming emperor of Rome he
was drunk so often that his army
nicknamed him "Biberius," meaning
"tippler' He had two boon compan-
ions, Flaccus and Piso, with whom he
went of sprees. At the weeping stage
they deplored the prevalence Of drunk
enness Tiberius was very fond Of
mushrooms, and died from eating the
wrong kind.
Nowhere in all the world today will
you find as many confirmed drunkards
as there we're among the Thracians,
the Iberians, the Celts or the Scythi-
ans. The man who didn't get
drunk every day or two was consid-
cred queer
Eat drink and amuse yourself. All
else is vanity" said Sardanapalus, the
last king Of the Assyrians, and those
words We're written on his tomb.
The Greeks were moderate drinkers
until they began to copy the luxury Of
the Persian feas.s. The Romans imi-
tated the Greeks Then the whole
world went on a saturnalia.
In the beginning no wrong was
thought of drinking. and the moralists
even advised drink to dispel melan-
choly. Hippocrates upheld drinking
and earnestly advised people to drown
their sorrows in wine.
The Romans carried over Indulgence
to an extreme never equ2led in an
other age. Gluttony and intemper-
ance reigned, and huge fortunes were
spent in single repasts
OF the many feasts given by ViteIius
not one cost less than 81 500, and his
reign was an almost continuous de-
bauch. Commodus was a notorious
drunkard, and Septimus Severus was
not much better. Several died Of over
indulgence in the flowing bowl
When Meliogabalus ascended the
throne he had a historiographer whose
special task was to record the orgies.
Forty courses a day were served at his
fcasts, each one Of which cost not less
than $4,000. He gave fortunes to new
inventors Of drinks.
Apicius spent 100000 on rare
wines and dishes. He went over his
books one day and found he had but
S250,00O left Rather than starve on
such pittance he killed himself. Apt
cius discovered how to keep oysters
alive during long shipments. For this
he was revered as a demigod.
Many of the famous drunkards drank
$500 worth of wine at a single meal
At a little luncheon given to Cicero
and Pompey by Lucullus. $4,000 worth
of wine was consumed by the three.
These facts leave no doubt that we
are comparatively sober nowadays.