Text: History of the Peloponnesian War
Author: Thucydides
Date: late 5th Century BCE
Language: Greek
Elissa’s pick: a California Lagrein like this one from Imagery
Notes: full bodied and astringent with complex and idiosyncratic phrasing; funeral wreaths, dark fruits, Schadenfreude.
Among scholars of the Classics, Thucydides is well-recognized for his dense and somewhat intimidating syntax. As with Lagrein, people often have trouble figuring out how to approach (or even pronounce the name of) this titan of Greek historiography. And yet, on the whole, both are well worth the effort: form matches content, and they deliver complex flavors that will leave you thinking about them well after the fact.
As the flavor profile unfolds, you’ll start to pick up dark fruits like cherry and plum, finished with a mild astringency and a dark chocolate undertone. The unique, multilayered profile of a good Lagrein mimics the immediacy Thucydides achieves through detailed first-person speeches.
Φιλοκαλοῦμέν τε γὰρ μετ᾿ εὐτελείας καὶ φιλοσοφοῦμεν ἄνευ μαλακίας
“For we cultivate beauty, but with moderation; and we cultivate wisdom, but without weakness,” II.40.1
Because The Peloponnesian War is so structured, we recommend selecting a California Lagrein: the higher acidity and sharper tannins stand up to the blunt realism of the Melian dialogue or the graphic plague description of Book II.
This is, above all, a pairing to be shared. Lagrein is at its most robust shortly after the bottle is opened, and Thucydides too is best taken in carefully modulated doses.
τῇ δίψῃ ἀπαύστῳ ξυνεχόμενοι· καὶ ἐν τῷ ὁμοίῳ καθειστήκει τό τε πλέον καὶ ἔλασσον ποτόν.
“they were afflicted by unceasing thirst, regardless of whether they drank much or little,” II.49.5
So lean into the pleasant, well-dosed discomfort and intrigue of this unconventional pairing. Gather some friends for a hearty meal, a heavy pour, and some serious discussion!
vintellect 
“Thucydides too is best taken in carefully modulated doses.” This post is amazing.
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Reblogged this on Stanford Greek Language & Literature Exams.
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