Chapter 2. Rome
Chapter 1, “Carthage,” can be viewed here…
Part 1
Introduction
“In vino veritas” (“In wine, there is truth”)
— Latin proverb, mentioned by Pliny
When we think of Rome, the imagination instantly conjures legions of soldiers in gleaming armor, marble columns of the Forum, and the roar of the amphitheater crowds. But the empire had another lifeblood — not only the red that flowed in the veins of its warriors, but also the dark ruby liquid stored in clay amphorae.
Rome was unimaginable without wine. Wherever the legions marched, wine flowed beside them — a second stream nourishing the empire.
The famous Appian Way — via Appia, regina viarum, the “queen of roads.” Along its smooth stones march the disciplined columns of legionaries: helmets flashing, weapons clanging, steps in perfect rhythm. But shift your eyes to the roadside — and you’ll see other columns: wagons creaking under the weight of amphorae. Inside those vessels was wine from Campania, the juice of the vine, no less vital to Rome than the steel of swords.
Thus, army and wine shared the same road: one brought power and order, the other — life and joy.
…The Appian Way, 216 BCE.
That year marked the Battle of Cannae, in Apulia, southern Italy (not to be confused with Cannes in France, where today the prestigious film festival is held). There, the brilliant Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca (247–183 BCE), who only two years earlier had astonished the world by leading his army — including war elephants — across the Alps into Italy, encircled and destroyed the Roman forces. Tens of thousands of legionaries fell on the battlefield. For Rome, it was not just defeat — it was a shock, a threat to the very survival of the Republic.
After the battle, the shattered remnants of the legions made their way back to Rome along the Appian Way. Columns of wounded soldiers trudged home: faces caked with dust, heads bowed, silence heavy with despair. Yet beside them rolled wagons loaded with amphorae of wine. For some, it was a trophy; for others, a medicine; for many, the only comfort after crushing defeat. Wine accompanied soldiers in victory and in ruin alike.
The Appian Way thus became a symbol: along it marched Rome’s greatest humiliation, and alongside flowed the drink that was part of its strength and culture.
In Rome, wine filled cups more often than water. It accompanied human life from birth to death — in rituals, in medicine, and in diplomacy.
2.1 Wine as a Symbol of Rome
“Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus”
(“Now it’s time to drink, now it’s time to beat the earth with a free foot!”)
— Horace, Odes (I, 37)
If Carthage was a city of merchants, for whom trading wine was a matter of survival, Rome turned wine into the very foundation of its civilization — a symbol of power and culture. From the vineyards of Campania and Etruria to the mountains of Spain and the valleys of Gaul, the vines obeyed the eagle (aquila), the emblem of Roman might both military and political.
For Rome, wine was commodity, culture, and politics all at once. It was more than a drink — it became a measure of civilization itself: the barbarian drinks beer, the slave drinks water, but the Roman citizen raises a cup of wine.
→ Wine and religion. The god Liber Pater was considered the patron of the vine and fertility. Wine was an essential part of sacrifices: when an animal was offered, the gods received not only meat and grain but also wine. It was poured onto the earth or onto the sacred fire — this ritual was called libatio (libation). Even the Latin word liber (“free”) is linked to this act of pouring. Festivals in his honor, the Liberalia (March 17), were days of revelry, songs, and freedom — a celebration of spring’s awakening and the triumph of wine. At funerals, vessels of wine were placed with the dead, so that they, too, could “drink” in the afterlife. Even oaths were sometimes sealed by sharing wine, for it was believed to sanctify the spoken word.
→ Wine and philosophy. It enlivened debates, loosened the mind, yet — as the Stoics claimed — also tested a person’s inner strength.
→ Wine and politics. More than one Senate decision was shaped after a banquet, when oratory flowed as smoothly as wine from a jug.
For a Roman, wine was part of the world he lived in — like the Forum, the baths, or the army. Without wine, Rome itself would have been unthinkable.
…A senator’s banquet, 50 BCE. Rome, the Esquiline Hill — the twilight of the Republic.
In the spacious central hall of a senator’s house, the air is thick with incense and the aroma of roasted meat. Carpets soften the mosaic floors, and the walls are painted with scenes of Bacchus (Latin Bacchus, god of wine, winemaking, intoxication, and ecstasy). Guests recline on couches while slaves bring cups. The wine flows freely — white Falernian, red Caecuban, sweet mulsum mixed with honey. Conversations drift from politics to poetry, from military victories to playful jokes.
Wine here is not just a drink, but the “lubricant” of social life. In this atmosphere the unofficial Rome takes shape — a Rome of toasts, friendships, and whispered deals.
2.2 The Ethnic Roots of the Romans
Rome was never a “pure” people, but rather a remarkable blend:
• The Latins — the native inhabitants of Latium, the small region around what would become Rome. Their language formed the basis of Latin, which became the language of the empire. The Latins lived by the land and the vine: small villages, fields, and the earliest amphorae. For them, wine was a rustic drink, part of the agricultural cycle.
• The Etruscans — more advanced northern neighbors, a mysterious people with their own culture, writing, and religion. They deeply influenced early Rome: kingship, rituals, architecture, and the first techniques of winemaking. For the Etruscans, wine was already a cultural code — with vessels, banquets, and sacred rites. They taught Romans to drink wine not as a peasant’s beverage, but as part of a ceremony, accompanied by music, ritual, and elegant cups.
• The Greeks — especially the colonies of Magna Graecia in southern Italy. The Greeks brought the culture of the symposion (drinking together), philosophy, and a refined wine tradition. Through them, Rome absorbed the very idea that wine symbolized civilization: the philosophy of “wine and conversation,” the practice of dedicating wine to the gods, and the belief that wine drew the line between “us” and the “barbarians.”
• The Sabines, Samnites, and other Italic tribes — warlike neighbors who contributed their customs, warrior spirit, and rural traditions. Even the legendary tale of the “Rape of the Sabine Women” reflects how Rome was formed through the blending of peoples.
Thus, the Romans were the children of the Latins, raised by the Etruscans, inspired by the Greeks, and tempered by conflict with their neighbors. Rome absorbed it all and forged a universal symbol of unity and power. Wine was one of these borrowings — and soon became the seal of Roman identity.
2.3 The Vine in a Saddlebag
Roman legionaries, alongside their swords, shields, and armor, often carried one more “weapon” — small cuttings of grapevines tucked into their saddlebags. Wherever they pitched camp, they would plant them in the soil. The vines became living markers of empire, taking root alongside the forts.
If roads connected the new provinces to Rome, the grapevine united them culturally. With its help, Gaul, Spain, Pannonia, and even Britain became part of the Roman world.
…Historical note
Archaeologists and historians confirm that the Romans were the first to establish vineyards in many European regions we now consider classic wine lands. In the 1st century CE, they planted vines in Aquitaine (future Bordeaux), along the Rhine and the Moselle (future Germany), and even in Britain under Emperor Probus (3rd century).
That is why today, when we taste a Bordeaux or a Moselle wine, we are also tasting Rome’s legacy. The vines of these regions are direct descendants of the cuttings legionaries once carried carefully in their bags. Europe became “wine country” precisely because Rome made the vine a symbol of civilization.
2.4 The Empire of Vineyards
“Felices olim vites, quae Romam satiare poterant”
(“Happy once were the vines that could satisfy Rome.”)
— Columella
The Roman Empire breathed wine. In Campania on the slopes of Vesuvius, in Etruria, in the valleys of Baetica (Spain), and across the plains of Gaul, vineyards covered the land like a living web. Wine was produced on such a scale that it became almost as essential as bread and oil. Pliny the Elder wrote: “In Italy, there is not a single hillside without vines.”
…Harvest in Campania, 1st century BCE, on the slopes of Vesuvius
It is a scorching day. Slaves pick heavy grape clusters, piling them into woven baskets. Voices rise in songs, the sharp ring of sickles cuts the air. Barefoot workers crush the grapes, juice running through channels into giant dolia — clay vats sunk into the ground. The must begins to ferment, turning into wine, and within weeks amphorae are ready for the road: some bound for Rome, others for Africa, still others to the north, across the Alps.
2.5 Great Wines
Some wines of the Roman era achieved almost mythological fame:
• Falernian (Falernum) — from Campania, celebrated by poets and reserved for emperors, it was considered the most prestigious and expensive wine of Rome. Noted for its strength (Pliny the Elder wrote it could ignite from a spark!) and its long aging in amphorae.
• Setinian (Setinum) — produced in the town of Setia (today in Latium), it was the favorite of the first emperor, Octavian Augustus, who praised it for its lightness and gentle taste. It was renowned for not causing heaviness or headaches — unlike the powerful Falernian.
• Caecuban (Caecubum) — from the coastal area near the Bay of Gaeta, between Campania and Latium. Rare and costly, it was called “the rarest and most precious wine of Italy” by poets such as Horace and Martial. Known for its rich aroma, it was once highly prized, but later declined in reputation when its vineyards were abandoned after the canals were destroyed in Nero’s reign.
These were the “brands” of Rome — pursued as eagerly then as Bordeaux or Burgundy are today.
…The Cup of Augustus, 10 BCE. Rome, Palatine Hill — the dawn of empire
In his palace on the Palatine, Emperor Augustus receives guests. On the marble table stand silver goblets, bowls of fruit, and steaming dishes. But the centerpiece of the banquet is the amphorae from the little town of Setia, nestled on the Apennine slopes. Slaves carefully pour the golden wine into cups. Augustus raises his own and, smiling, declares:
— Here is a drink worthy of the peace we have brought.
From that moment, Setinian wine became the emperor’s favorite, served at official feasts and gaining fame as the “imperial wine.” It was poured at the banquets of power, becoming a symbol of the new era — when Rome was no longer a republic, but an empire.
To be continued…
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