Thus it would appear that the manufacture of wine from the grape and its transport from place to place in barrels must have been common in the days of Homer; and that its intoxicating effects were well known is obvious, not only from the foregoing extracts, but from various other portions of the “Odyssey.” Thus, Antinous says to Ulysses, “Sweet wine hurts thee, which harms others also, whoever takes it too abundantly nor drinks properly. Wine also inspired the illustrious Centaur Eurytion in the palace of the magnanimous Pirithous when he came to the Lapithæ, but he, when he had injured his mind with wine, in madness did wicked deeds in the house of Pirithous.”[147] The information which we have thus derived from the ancient poets is confirmed by the results of modern archæologists. Many of our readers have no doubt inspected the interesting relics of ancient Troy which have been brought home by Dr. Schliemann, and are now deposited in South Kensington Museum. They consist, amongst other articles, of drinking vessels of various shapes and materials, cast and wrought gold, silver and earthenware, and of every size, form, and colour. Their precise age has been disputed, but it is quite unnecessary for our purpose to enter minutely into this question. The race which used them were evidently highly convivial in their habits; and in the matter of drinking, at least, they would seem to have been the originators of many of the customs of civilised society. Crossing over once more from Troy into Greece, we find that, at a later period of its history, the dangers which threatened the nation from drunkenness became so apparent that in some of the states stringent measures were taken to enforce abstinence. The Lacedæmonians were at one time total abstainers,[148] and some writers go so far as to say that they compelled their helots or slaves to intoxicate themselves, and to dance indecent dances, and that whilst they were in that condition they brought their youth to look at them, so that they might be repelled by the sight, and eschew similar practices.[149] Be that as it may, temperance and simplicity of life did not long hold sway in Greece, and all its states, including Sparta, succumbed to habits of luxury.[150] Of this we have ample proof in the works of the Greek comedy writers. One of them, Panyasis, a relation of Herodotus, who lived about 480 B.C., sings in praise of wine as follows:— “Good wine’s the gift which God has given To man alone beneath the heaven, Of dance and song the genial sire, Of friendship gay, and soft desire; Yet rule it with a tightened rein, Nor moderate wisdom’s rules disdain; For when unchecked there’s nought runs faster— A useful slave, but cruel master.”