Simpotica

Communal drinking sessions, simposia, were among the important social forms of ancient Greece. The “simpotic” gathering took place at a specific moment during special occasions: poems or convivial odes were to be recited at the conclusion of the banquet.

The simpotic poetry added to the pleasure of the convivium and the banqueters drank according to the directions of the simposiarch. In order to do honour to the table it was necessary to drink in a measured way and subsequently enter into intellectual conversation.