Drugs in Ancient Greek and Roman World

Studies recovered that the Ancient Greeks and Romans used, and periodically abused, hemp and opium. Credit: nationalist domain

Drug usage goes backmost to past times, with probe showing that the Greeks and Romans utilized and sometimes abused cannabis and opium.

These past civilizations utilized assorted substances to relieve symptom and sleep. In addition, these drugs could service to enrich the rituals and enliven the feasts of the Ancient Greeks and Romans with hallucinatory effects.

However, drugs dispersed acold beyond their intended uses, and the archetypal reported cases of quality addiction appeared. Even the Roman emperors were nary exception, among whom Marcus Aurelius stood retired for his adherence to opium, according to the past historiographer Cassius Dio.

A Bit of Drug History From Europe

Anthropological findings bespeak that since the Stone Age, humans person been cultivating and employing substances that change mood. Professor Elisa Guerra-Doce from the University of Valladolid collected planetary grounds showing that successful 8,600 BC, Neolithic communities consumed cacti-derived drugs and cultivated opium poppies by 6,000 BC.

Moreover, successful a cave adjacent Albuñol, Granada, traces of an opium poppy capsule were discovered connected the teeth of a antheral skeleton dating backmost to astir 4,000 BC. As Guerra-Doce stated, “Apart from its usage arsenic a nutrient plant, determination is besides uncontested grounds for the exploitation of its narcotic properties.” Additionally, she claimed that aboriginal humans utilized hallucinogenic plants.

In Italy, adjacent Lake Bracciano, researchers discovered immoderate of the earliest paleobotanical grounds for opium use. Preserved poppy seeds were recovered buried beneath 3 meters of limestone astatine the lake’s bottom, dating backmost to a colonisation that existed determination 7,700 years ago.

However, the survey of past substance usage is challenging owed to the aggregate purposes psychoactive plants could serve. Hemp mightiness person been utilized successful assorted ways, including feeding cattle, enactment production, and lipid processing, too quality consumption. Regarding cannabis, researchers suggest that Ancient Greeks and Romans utilized this cause not lone for its intoxicating properties but besides for medicinal and applicable purposes.

The usage of antithetic drugs successful the discourse of religion successful the past world, particularly successful Ancient Greece, is somewhat disputed. Explicit references are not ever recovered successful past texts. Researchers often infer grounds from iconography, artifacts, and botanical likelihood.

Traces of Opium Consumption connected Crete and Cyprus

Evidence suggesting the beingness and imaginable usage of opium successful the Ancient Greek satellite delve backmost to Crete. There was the location of a terracotta fig dating backmost to 1300 BC, depicting a Minoan ‘poppy goddess.’ It looks similar a feminine statue with a skirt and arms raised. The fig is adorned with a headdress bearing 3 poppy heads oregon capsules.

Additionally, associations with poppies and opium usage came from different artifacts. They see a seal ringing from Mycenae which depicted a seated pistillate figure, possibly grasping 3 poppies.

Regarding Cyprus, juglets resembling opium poppy seeds and dating from 1,600 to 1,000 BC were unearthed there. It is believed that they were successful precocious request and recovered successful temples and tombs successful regions specified arsenic Egypt and the Levant. Residue investigation of these juglets revealed flimsy traces of opium alkaloids, perchance suggesting ceremonial anointing practices. A ritual discourse was besides attributed to the find of an ivory tube utilized for smoking opium successful Kition, Cyprus, dating backmost to the 12th period BC.

1/Scene from a golden signet ringing from the Mycenae acropolis, Greece, astir 1500 BCE. The seated goddess clutches 3 achromatic poppy heads. Other details amusement that the country is connected with an opium cult. In the entity the riverlike set represents the Milky Way, which successful Greek story pic.twitter.com/1q6njpfi3P

— Jeff Knox (@mrjeffknox) September 16, 2023

Eleusinian Mysteries

The Eleusinian Mysteries play a peculiar relation successful the cognition of drugs successful the Ancient Greek world, namely acknowledgment to a circumstantial portion that was besides fashionable among the Romans.

The beverage called kykeon, comprised of h2o and barley with further ingredients, has been described by Homer. His Iliad describes it arsenic a premix of water, barley, herbs, and crushed goat cheese. Furthermore, the Odyssey refers to it successful Circe’s potion successful which it is combined with honey. This fashionable portion gained peculiar value arsenic a captious constituent of the Eleusinian Mysteries, an past spiritual festival successful grant of the Greek goddess Demeter and her girl Persephone.

ENTHEOGENS AT ELEUSIS.
There’s speculation initiates to the Eleusinian mysteries took drugs to supply them with a visionary, ecstatic experience. This alleviation whitethorn amusement Demeter and Persephone holding magic mushrooms…but they could conscionable beryllium flowers. Greek, Thessaly, 470-460 BC. pic.twitter.com/zL1qLd0q41

— Visio Smaragdina (@SmaragdinaVisio) April 16, 2020

Scholars suggest the kykeon mightiness person contained ergot, a fungus that grows connected barley and different cereal grains. Eating ergot tin origin unpleasant symptoms specified arsenic terrible headaches, bosom problems, trembling, confusion, and anxiety. Moreover, it besides contains an alkaloid akin to LSD, which could perchance beforehand altered states of consciousness during ceremonies.

It is believed that Mysteries’ initiates underwent chartless proceedings successful the underground temple of the Telesterion aft consuming Kykeon. Before their descent, the participants bathed, purified themselves, and drank freshly prepared Kykeon, symbolizing Persephone’s descent and seeking rebirth.

Smoking Cannabis the Ancient Way

Numerous Ancient Greek and Roman texts shed airy connected the usage of drugs, particularly cannabis.

The playwright Ephippus mentioned it among assorted delicacies specified arsenic cakes and fruits. The accounts of Atheneaus and Pausanias highlighted cannabis applications successful the instauration of ropes and textiles, arsenic good arsenic its effectiveness successful repelling mosquitoes. The historiographer Herodotus described a funerary ritual among the Scythians. It progressive the burning of hemp wrong a tent, evoking a consciousness of delight and euphoria successful those present. Speaking astir this smoke, Herodotus wrote that “the Scythians bask it truthful overmuch that they would howl with pleasure.”

Furthermore, the Romans not lone valued cannabis seeds arsenic a delicacy but besides believed that consuming them aft meals stimulated their appetite for drinking. Galen, a celebrated Greek doc who lived successful Rome, noted that radical consumed these seeds “in bid to stimulate an appetite for drinking.” Furthermore, helium mentioned that large amounts of seeds evoked successful people’s caput a “warm and toxic vapor.”

Marcus Aurelius arsenic an Opium Addict

Bust of Marcus Aurelius. It is believed that the emperor consumed opium respective times a time to relieve thorax and abdominal symptom during subject campaigns. Credit: Bob3321 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Opium was commonly utilized successful Ancient Rome for assorted medicinal purposes, including symptom alleviation and slumber aid, with adjacent the Emperor Marcus Aurelius becoming reliant connected its effects.

According to Francois Retief from the University of the Free State, “there is nary uncertainty that Marcus Aurelius ingested a regular dose of opium.” The Ancient Roman historiographer of Greek origin, Cassius Dio, wrote that the Emperor consumed opium respective times a time to relieve thorax and abdominal symptom during subject campaigns.

Although the archetypal usage of opium by Marcus Aurelius was for aesculapian reasons, the continued dependence connected the substance raised questions astir the quality of his consumption. Scholars specified arsenic Thomas W. Africa projected that beyond the aesculapian necessity, opium mightiness person served to heighten his philosophical contemplations and intelligence insights.

In his book, The Opium Addiction of Marcus Aurelius, the researcher wrote that the “drugs incapacitated Marcus little than they insulated his earthy reserve and fired his philosophic penetration to the fever transportation of vision.”