From Ancient Amphorae to the Age of Remedies
Part I. The Pharmacies of Ancient Rome
“Wine is the most beneficial of all medicines and the most pleasant of all foods.”
— Hippocrates
From the earliest times, people sought cures for pain, fatigue, and fear — and often found them in a cup. Alcohol was not merely a drink; it was believed to be a remedy, a shield against disease, and sometimes even a divine gift. In the ancient world, wine became the universal medicine, prescribed by doctors, monks, and healers alike.
Wine in Ancient Medicine
The physicians of Greece and Rome considered wine an essential part of therapy. They prescribed it for wounds, fevers, stomach troubles, and even melancholy. Hippocrates recommended wine to clean ulcers and as a base for herbal infusions. Galen, the personal physician to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, used it to disinfect surgical instruments and promote healing.
Unlike today’s standardized medicines, ancient wines were diverse. Doctors distinguished between red and white varieties, light and strong, sweet and acidic. Red wines, richer in tannins, were believed to stop bleeding and strengthen the body, while white wines were valued for their refreshing and cooling properties. Sweet wines from islands like Chios or Lesbos were given to the weak and elderly to restore strength.
The First “Medical Prescriptions”
Roman pharmacies were not like modern ones. They were markets and workshops where apothecaries mixed wines with herbs, resins, and spices. A few drops of myrrh, a pinch of wormwood, or a handful of rosemary could turn an ordinary drink into a healing potion. Soldiers on campaigns always carried wineskins — not just to quench thirst, but to disinfect wounds and prevent infections.
Wine was also used externally. It was poured over cuts to clean them, applied to swellings, and mixed with honey to soothe burns. The combination of alcohol’s antiseptic properties and the natural antibiotics of herbs created surprisingly effective remedies for the time.
Gladiator and Doctor
After the bloody spectacle of the arena, wounded gladiators were treated not only with ointments but also with wine. Ancient chroniclers mention how surgeons poured it over open wounds to clean them, and then offered diluted wine to the injured as both pain relief and prevention against fever.
– Drink, and you shall heal, – a Roman medicus would say, handing the cup to a bloodied fighter.
Ancient Recipes: Wine Compress and Wine Ointment
• Wine Compress
→ Soak a linen cloth in warm red wine.
→ Apply to a swollen joint or bruised muscle.
→ Replace every few hours to reduce inflammation and pain.
• Wine Ointment
→ Mix concentrated wine with honey and crushed rosemary.
→ Apply to cuts or burns to speed healing and prevent infection.
These simple remedies were common knowledge among Roman healers — and surprisingly effective.
A Visit to the Apothecary: The Toothache Remedy
Imagine a narrow Roman street, the smell of spices and heated oil in the air. A man enters the taberna medica, clutching his jaw in pain. The apothecary — a gray-haired Greek with quick fingers — listens, nods, and pours a cup of strong, heated wine. Into it, he adds crushed cloves and a pinch of pepper.
– Hold this in your mouth, do not swallow yet, – he instructs.
The patient obeys. Warmth spreads through the aching tooth, numbing the pain. The apothecary smiles:
– Now drink. Let the wine heal you from inside.
Imported Healing
Rome imported wines from across the empire. The famous Falernian wine from Campania, aged in clay amphorae, was considered almost miraculous. It was prescribed for chronic illnesses and digestive problems. From Gaul and Spain came wines enriched with pine resin and aromatic plants — early prototypes of today’s herbal liqueurs.
Why Wine Healed, Not Water or Milk
Why was it wine — and not water or milk — that became the medicine of choice in antiquity? Water sources were often contaminated, and drinking untreated water could lead to deadly diseases. Milk, especially from goats or buffalo, spoiled quickly in the Mediterranean heat and became a breeding ground for bacteria.
Wine, on the other hand, contained alcohol, natural acids, and antioxidants that inhibited microbial growth. Even diluted, it disinfected, preserved, and calmed. It served as the first accessible antiseptic, painkiller, and even antidepressant.
Wine accompanied a Roman through every stage of life — at birth, during illness, at feasts, and at funerals. And while today it is prescribed only “for the soul,” history remembers the times when wine truly saved lives.
Not Just Medicine, but Ritual
For the ancients, wine was inseparable from faith. It was offered to the gods, used in sacred rites, and blessed every meal. Wine linked the world of humans with the world of spirits, the body with the soul.
In this blend of practical benefit and spiritual symbolism, wine became the first universal elixir — available to everyone, from shepherd to king.
A Toast to Health
For the Romans, every cup was both pleasure and medicine. They believed that moderate drinking could prolong life and keep the body in balance. “In vino sanitas,” they might have said — in wine, there is health.
💡 Next time: How monastic pharmacies in the Middle Ages preserved and transformed the ancient traditions of wine as medicine.
Leave a Reply