History of the World in 6 Glasses Review

Where was beer first discovered?

In the fertile crescent, around 10,000 BCE

How did beer lead to the establishment of cities?

Beer and cereal grains allowed humans to have enough sustenance to stay in one place and to stay gathered/together in clusters.

Mesopotamian/Sumerian people believed that beer stood for what?

Hospitality and friendship when shared from one vessel.

How did beer help advance civilization?

It proved to be a safer alternative than water and improved the average life span at the time. It also led to the deliberate farming and production of cereal grains which advanced farming technology. Lastly, it also led to the specialization of jobs/labor to make up the different parts of fermentation and selling.

Both Egyptians and Sumerians had what that made beer possible?

Surplus grain

Mesopotamians/Sumerians associated beer drinking with a way to show you are?

Civilized, and appreciating what the gods have given you.

How did beer transform the economic side of ancient civilizations?

It became both a foodstuff and a way to pay wages or act as currency in exchanged and purchases.

How did beer transform the medical side of ancient civilizations?

Both Egyptians and Sumerians used beer as a weak anisthetic and antiseptic. Culturally, both also believed that the consumption of beer would protect you and heal you from many illnessess/diseases.

Around what time was wine first produced?

In the Neolithic period, around 9000-4000 BCE, in the Northern Iran area.

Wine was a drink that was originally reserved for the elites of society.

True

How did wine reach Mesopotamia?

Mesopotamia didn’t have the ideal conditions to make wine, so they oftent traded for it through the Tigris and Euphrates river with other groups.

Did wine replace beer in Mesopotamia?

True, it took the title of “the most civilized drink”.

How did wine pave the way for contemporary Western thought?

It prompted the creation of Greek Symposiums, or parties where intellects often exchanged wits and thoughts about various topics ranging from the economy to philosophy.

This then led to the birth of rational inquiry and reasoned arguments that spread beyond the walls of these parties.

How did wine develop the distinction between the he global west and the global east?

Wine drinking greeks often referred to those outside their state as “barbarians“ because the language sounded a lot like babbling, and because the didn’t drink wine (which meant they weren’t civilized). This led to the divide between eastern and western worlds.

How did wine affect social hierarchies in ancient Greece?

What kind of wine you were drinking was a show of what class you were. VIneyards were also a show of wealth and were often targeted during wars and raids. However, it was also a way to bring men together and to show they are all equals during symposiums.

Unlike beer, wins was mixed with water. Why?

This was the Greeks way of showing that they were different than the “barbarians”. Them mixing water with wine was an act of balancing freedom/mild intoxication and barbaric actions/getting drunk.

What did wine mean to Romans, especially after they have overtaken Greece?

It was a symbol for where they had come from and what they had become.

What is a difference in how Roman culture interacted with wine and how Greek culture did?

Roman culture used wine as a way to define and divide social classes. Greek culture used wine as a way to bring people/men together, especially during symposium.

How did wine improve medical advancements in its time?

Just like beer, it was a used as a mild anisthetic and also as a disinfectant.

What kind of religious significance did wine have?

It helped differentiate religions like Christianity and Islam. Christianity used wine in religious ceremonies, while Islam placed harsh restrictions on the use/drink of wine.