Ancient Greek drinking game!

[Imperial Dave]

I had to laugh when I saw this and perhaps a wee bit frovolous but an ancient Greek drinking game reproduced using grape juice. It did make me chuckle when it was reported that wine would be required to get the full experiment 

http://www.archaeology.org/news/2899-150114-kottabos-greek-game

[Patrick Waterson]

Kottabos did develop basic aiming skills which could theoretically carry over to using a sling, dart or javelin - but mostly it kept everyone awake and uproarious.  This could on occasion have unfortunate consequences.

"But some young tipsy cottabus-players went
And stole from Megara-town the fair Simaetha.
Then the Megarians, garlicked with the smart,
Stole, in return, two of Aspasia's hussies.
From these three wantons, o'er the Hellenic race
Burst forth the first beginnings of the war." - Aristophanes, Acharnians 525-528

The 'war' is of course the Peloponnesian War, and Aristophanes seems to be aping Herodotus' (I.1-4) observations that all major wars in antiquity, or at least those involving Hellenes, began over women.

[Prufrock]

Well, that's the pre-breakfast entertainment for battleday sorted then!

[Imperial Dave]

what? Starting a Peloponnesian War or doing the drinking game?