According to Nicander of Colophon, the word οἶνος, “wine,” was derived from the name of _Oineus_, who having squeezed out the juice of the grape into vases, called it, after his own name, _wine_. Diphilos,[711] the comic poet, gives us, however, something better than etymologies in that burst of Bacchic enthusiasm in which, in verses fragrant as Burgundy, he celebrates the praises of the gift of Dionysos: “Oh! friend to the wise, to the children of song, Take me with thee, thou wisest and sweetest, along; To the humble, the lowly, proud thoughts dost thou bring, For the wretch who has thee is as blythe as a king: From the brows of the sage, in thy humorous play, Thou dost smooth every furrow, every wrinkle away; To the weak thou giv’st strength, to the mendicant gold, And a slave warmed by thee as a lion is bold.” ----- Footnote 711: Idem, ii. 1, where are collected many other etymologies and curious fables. ----- Nectar, the poetical drink of the gods, was a sort of wine made near Olympos in Lydia, by mingling with the juice of the grape a little pure honey and flowers of delicate fragrance. Anaxandrides, indeed, regards the nectar as the food of the immortals, and ambrosia as their wine; in which opinion he is upheld by Alcman and Sappho. But Homer and Ibycos take an opposite view of the matter.[712] ----- Footnote 712: Athen. ii. 8. ----- Alexis speaks of those who are half-seas-over as much addicted to reasoning. Nicænetus[713] considers wine as the Pegasus of a poet, mounted on the wings of which like Trygæos on his beetle he soars “to the bright heaven of invention.” At the port of Munychia, too, good wine was held in high estimation; indeed, the honest folks of this borough, with small respect for the water nymphs, paid particular honour to the hero _Acratopotes_, that is, in plain English, “one who drinks unmixed wine.” Even among the Spartans,[714] in spite of their cothons, and black broth, certain culinary artistes set up in the Phydition, or common dining-hall, statues in honour of the heroes _Matton_ and _Keraon_, that is, the genii of eating and drinking. In Achaia, too, much reverence was paid to _Deipneus_, or the god who presides over good suppers.[715] ----- Footnote 713: Or Nicarchos. Anthol. Græc. xiii. 29. Athen. ii. 9. Footnote 714: Athen. ii. 9. Footnote 715: Athen. ii. 9. Cf. x. 9. -----