Posca
Posca was an
wine vinegar
. Bracing but less nutritious and palatable than wine, it was typically a drink for soldiers, the lower classes, and slaves.
Etymology and later elaborations
The word posca is derived from either
Latin potor 'to drink' or from Greek epoxos 'very sharp'.[1] Because the Greeks lacked a word for posca, sources written in Greek, such as the Gospels and Plutarch, use the word οξος, oxos 'vinegar' in its place (translated as acetum in the Vulgate Bible). The word eventually migrated into Greek from about the sixth century AD onward as the Byzantine army
continued the Roman tradition, drinking what they termed phouska. This word (sometimes rendered phouska) may mean 'beer' in some contexts:
What it certainly meant originally, like Latin posca, was vinegar-and-water, the regular beverage of the classical Roman army on bad days. Thus
Usage
The widespread use of posca is attested by numerous mentions by ancient sources ranging from the
See also
- Acidulated water – water with acid added
- Holy Sponge – Instrument of the Passion of Jesus Christ
- Kombucha – Fermented tea beverage
- Oxymel – Mixture of honey and vinegar, used as a medicine
- Sekanjabin – sour and sweet drink
- Shrub (drink) – Fruit liqueur or vinegared syrup cordial
- Switchel – Type of drink containing vinegar and ginger
Notes
- ISBN 90-04-11271-5
- ^ Dalby, Andrew (2010). Tastes of Byzantium: The Cuisine of a Legendary Empire, I.B. Tauris, 2010, pp. 25 and 90-91, citing Aëtius , Medicine 3.81, and Paul of Aegina, Medical Epitome 7.5.10.
- ISBN 0-415-23259-7
- ^ Guilford, Gwynn (September 2, 2018). "My favorite beverage is a 2,000-year-old energy drink from ancient Rome". Quartz.
- ^ Preskar, Peter (November 20, 2022). "The Roman Posca — The Jesus Christ's Last Drink".