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Lexicon

The largest wine encyclopedia in the world with 26,621 Terms.

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Symposium

Term (Greek sympósĭon; Latin symposium) for a drinking event accompanied by spirited conversation, jokes, songs, music, games and performances with moderate, controlled consumption of wine in ancient Greece. The earliest mentions of it come from the poet Xenophanes (570-470) from the 6th century BC, as well as from the historian Herodotus (482-425 BC) and the philosopher Plato (428/427-348/347 BC), who described the rules in his law book "Nomoi". The custom spread from Greece to Rome and Italy and was widespread until the end of antiquity, especially among the wealthy.

Communal, social drinking

The Greek term means "communal, social drinking". However, it should not just be understood as an exuberant drinking and eating binge, as the focus was on communal, godly, ritualised and civilised conviviality. The picture shows the famous almost 3 x 6 metre painting "Symposion" by the German painter Anselm Feuerbach (1829-1880), which he completed in 1869. It was inspired by the ancient text "Symposium", in which the Greek philosopher Plato (428/427-348/347 BC) analysed the nature of Eros. Prominent participants in the symposium shown in the picture included the comic poet Aristophanes (450-380 BC) and the philosopher Socrates (470-399 BC). The seated Socrates turns his back to the scene and bows his head.

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Thorsten Rahn

The Wine lexicon helps me to keep up to date and refresh my knowledge. Thank you for this Lexicon that will never end in terms of topicality! That's what makes it so exciting to come back often.

Thorsten Rahn
Restaurantleiter, Sommelier, Weindozent und Autor; Dresden

The world's largest Lexicon of wine terms.

26,621 Keywords · 47,085 Synonyms · 5,317 Translations · 31,953 Pronunciations · 229,903 Cross-references
made with ♥ by our author Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer. About the Lexicon

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