The Classical Era of Greek history (500-336BCE) was the heyday of the Symposium. A male activity reserved for the aristocrat, this was essentially a time to discuss philosophy, politics, and drink wine while engaged in a convivial atmosphere. The Symposium was held in a square room specially fitted with couches along the perimeter. Reclining on the left elbow upon these couches, men would eat and drink wine that had been mixed with water in a krater, from specific vessels such as the kylix.
Scenes of the Symposium have been recorded in many archaeological finds, notably on ceramics. These scenes depict not only the symposium itself but the figures associated with it, such as the mythological connections to the symposium. Dionysus, the god of wine, is repeatedly featured in scenes of symposia as well as his followers, the satyrs. Games of skill and balance were also popular during the symposium, as these were considered to represent a battle with the effects of the wine. Music and singing accompanied these games at times.
The symposium was not simply an aristocratic drinking party, but also a means by which to convey traditional values and bring the younger generations into conversations about philosophy and politics. A fascinating venture into the world of male Greek aristocrats, the symposium is yet another example of how the Greeks blur the line between myth and reality.
