Cella Vinaria Project

“In vino veritas” (truth in wine). The Romans loved their wine, and in Herculaneum, we see one of the most famous painted advertisements listing the prices of different types of wine. The name of this establishment is “To the vessels”. Each is labeled with a price ranging from two to four and a half asses per s*xtarius (about 500 milliliters). This conclusively validates the hypothesis that quality and flavour (flavoured with honey, other wines, and herbs) dictated the price, not volume.

The jugs were also painted a colour that matched the volume of liquid they held. This is for regular to lower middle class who probably worked long days and could treat the wife and kids (children were allowed heavily watered down wine at meals) to a jug or three of the good stuff when the father had a few days off. All respectable Romans were expected to drink watered down wine as excessive drunkenness was heavily frowned at.

Augustus's morality laws (primarily the leges Juliae of 18–17 BC and lex Papia Poppaea of 9 AD) were a series of reforms designed to boost population growth, promote marriage, and curb s*xual immorality among the Roman elite. These were designed to return Rome to its "Traditional Golden Era" - All literary sources directly concur on these sweeping legal changes.

He was so adamant the enforcement of these laws, that he exiled his daughter Julia, for having frequent s*x with married and most importantly, senatorial and Equestrian power brokers. This was to show Rome that if he could exile his daughter to an island, prohibit all male visitors (security excluded) that he was very serious.

Remember, the wealthy had huge stores of their favourite wine delivered straight from the docks, or a middle man, and numerous amphorae of good, medium and barely passable (for when guests were drunk) kept in their cellars.