tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46027844877979989392012-02-16T20:41:00.671-08:00The semicoherent ramblings of a wayward classicist.Tomnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4602784487797998939.post-85806244547923917032007-02-26T17:32:00.000-08:002007-02-26T18:24:08.187-08:00Perhaps in anticipation of the upcoming film <a href="http://300themovie.warnerbros.com/"><span style="font-style:italic;">300</span></a>, David Meadows at <a href="http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/">Rogueclassicism</a> highlights this interesting bit of 19th century scholarly speculation found in the periodical <span style="font-style:italic;">Notes and Queries</span> (via Project Gutenberg) as to whether the legendary "black broth" of Sparta was in fact coffee:<br /><blockquote>Notes & Queries 1849.12.22<br /><br /> _Coffee, the Lacedaemonion Black Broth._ Your "notes on Coffee" in No. 2. reminded me that I had read in some modern author a happy conjecture that "coffee" was the principal ingredient of the celebrated "Lacedaemonian black broth," but as I did not "make a note of it" at the time, and cannot recollect the writer from whom I derived this very probable idea, I may perhaps be allowed to "make a query" of his name and work. R.O.<br /><br />Notes & Queries, No. 9, Saturday, December 29, 1849<br /><br /> _Coffee, the Lacedaemonian Black Broth._--Your correspondent "R.O." inquires what modern author suggests the probability of coffee being the black broth of the Lacedaemonians? The suggestion, I think, originated with George Sandys, the translator of Ovid's _Metamorphoses_. Sandys travelled in the Turkish empire in 1610. He first published his _Notes_ in 1615. The following is from the 6th edit. 1652, p. 52.:-- "Although they be destitute of taverns, yet have they their coffa-houses, which something resemble them. Their sit they, chatting most of the day, and sip of a drink called coffa (of the berry that it is made of), in little _China_ dishes, as hot as they can suffer it; black as soot, and tasting not much unlike it (why not that black broth which was in use among the Lacedaemonians?) which helpeth, as they say, digestion, and procureth alacrity," &c. Burton also (_Anatomy of Melancholy_) describes it as "like that black drink which was in use among the Lacedaemonians, and perhaps the same." E.B. PRICE.</blockquote><br />(follow the rest of the discussion at <a href="http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00005509.html">Rogueclassicism</a>)<br /><br />No doubt this is all just a tempest in a teapot -- or coffeepot, if you will -- but it's an amusing thought nonetheless. Give me four shots of espresso in the morning and I feel like I can conquer a million Persians myself!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/91/255406488_c65a6b1e2b_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/91/255406488_c65a6b1e2b_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />"I... NEED... <span style="font-weight:bold;">COFFEE</span>!"<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4602784487797998939-8580624454792391703?l=hoplizo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomnoreply@blogger.com0