1872 Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks (Mixellany)

Ancient Cups. 157 The duty of serving the wine amongst the ancient Romans was given to boys—slaves, who were well dressed—the wine being kept in large earthen vases, into which the cyanthus (or goblet) was adroitly dipped when it required replenishing. The cyanthus contained about as much as our modern wine-glass, or else how could they say— Let our bumpers, while jovial we give out the toast In gay compotations, be ten at the most: The ninth to the Muses in order must follow, The tenth a libation be made to Apollo ? It was also of sufficient capacity to give rise to the phrase, " To get into one's cups/' which origi- nated with the Romans. Pisander mentions that Hercules crossed the ocean in his cup, which may have handed down the phrase, " half seas over/' in this sense. How you totter, good feet! Have a care of my bones! If you fail me, I pass all the night on these stones*. The " Cup of Hercules "—which was drunk off and caused the death of Alexander the Great—con- tained nearly four English quarts. " Here/' says Seneca, " is this hero, unconquered by all the toils of prodigious marches, by the dangers of sieges and combats, by the most violent extremes of heat and cold—here he lies, subdued by intemperance, and struck to the earth."