Jun 7, 2012 10:55
11 yrs ago
English term

bromian (wine)

English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
The word occurs in an epigram found in the ancient city of Herculaneum in Italy (an quoted in S. Greenblatt's "The Swerve"), so it is from an ancient text. The epigram itself invites a friend, Piso, to come and celebrate a monthly feast in honour of Epicurus:

"Tomorrow, friend Piso, your musical comrade drags you
to his modest
digs at three in the afternoon,
feeding you at your annual visit to the Twentieth. If you
will miss udders
and Bromian wine mis en bouteilles in Chios,
yet you will see faithful comrades, yet you will hear
things far sweeter
than the land of the Phaeacians..."

I assume the adjective "Bromian" is referring to a place name, but even if so, I couldn't find what it is.
Responses
4 +4 Bacchus

Discussion

vitaminBcomplex (asker) Jun 7, 2012:
no worries! and thanks anyway...
katsy Jun 7, 2012:
ahem well I was obviously totally wrong ... please ignore all that!
katsy Jun 7, 2012:
to do with bromine? bromian is apparently the adjective from bromine http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bromian
Another link on bromine http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/bromine-facts-13628.h... indicates two things that might be helpful (?) - that it has a strong smell, (stench, actually!) and that it is reddish-brown.... could this thus be a reference either to its smell (which we hope has become more pleasant..) or its colour? Have you tried looking for the characteristics of wine from Chios?

Responses

+4
18 mins
Selected

Bacchus

the Bromian god - another name for Bacchus (god of wine).

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Note added at 18 mins (2012-06-07 11:14:47 GMT)
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http://freaky_freya.tripod.com/Drunktionary/A-B.html
Peer comment(s):

agree Charles Davis : ie. "Bacchic", relating to Bromius = Bacchus/Dionysus, so it's a typically tautologous Greek epithet.
2 mins
agree Anita Šumer
10 mins
agree Veronika McLaren
1 hr
agree Jenni Lukac (X) : Cheers to all!
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks, mark!"
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