I really didn’t know what I was walking into when I signed up for this Rose Cafe. I thought that we would get a lecture as to why we shouldn’t binge drink and how it is a problem that needs to be fixed but. I thought Renaissance Germany would be mentioned for a minute. I was not prepared at all for Michael Fontaine’s presentation. I absolutely love the classics and I love getting to learn about Ancient Greece and Rome any chance I get. When Professor Fontaine started talking about the origins of binge drinking and drinking games coming from 500 years ago I was pleasantly surprised. He also brought in replicas of what the Romans used to drink wine out of. You could tell that he has done a lot of research on this time period and that he genuinely loves what he is studying. I found out he is teaching two courses next year (one in the fall and one in the spring semester) and I definitely want to take one of his courses. This was such a cool Rose Cafe! I really would like to hear more from professors studying the classics.
Rose Scholars Spring 2019
Endless possibilities
I agree that it is interesting that most people consider binge drinking and drinking culture in general to be a modern concept even though in a lot of historical movies and writing alcohol is present and often in excess. I learned something similar in my Labor History course that drinking all day long and in large quantities and even while at work was the norm way back in the day.