157 / 244
157
Ancient
Cups.
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,
he
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
9
the
phrase,
“
To
get
into
one's
cups,"
which
origi-
I
nated
with
the
Romans.
Pisander
mentions
that
Hercules
crossed
the
ocean
in
his
cup,
which
may
I
have
handed
down
the
phrase,
“
half
seas
over,” in
1
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.”