Fertile Crescent Case Study Summary

1. According to Standage, how did the Fertile Crescent get its name?
As described by Standage, the Fertile Crescent was “a happy accident of geography.” After the Ice Age, the melting glaciers provided very fertile soil in this area from modern day Egypt up the Mediterranean Coast to the border of Iraq and Iran. It provided plentiful food collected by the hunter-gatherers. The hunter-gatherers didn't only hunt the animals and gather the plants that were available here but also made good use of the abundant cereal grains that were plentiful in the region. This is the era when humans started farming and established the first permanent settlements.

2. What effect did storing grain have on hunter-gatherer societies?
The cereal grains that were

What did drinking wine symbolize in ancient Greece?
In Greece, beer was considered to be the drink of the "common" folk. Wine became the fancier, more sought after drink that eventually led it to become a status symbol for those who could afford to drink it. It was their drink of choice when the water quality couldn't be guaranteed. It was used as a social lubricant, in games at gatherings, and for making vinegar. It was the main beverage in Ancient Greece as the water was often unsafe to drink on its own.

6. What role did wine play at the symposium?
At the symposium, a "symposiarch" would decide how strong the wine for the evening would be, depending on whether serious discussions were in the offing. The Greeks customarily served their wine mixed with water, as the drinking of pure wine was considered a habit of uncivilized peoples. Certain formalities were observed, like the pouring of a small amount of wine in honor of various deities or the

In Cato's time, he believed that even slaves should have a weekly ration of over a gallon of wine a week. However, his reason was more for the dietary health of the slaves and maintenance of their strength rather than their personal enjoyment. Should a slave become sick and unavailable to work, Cato advises cutting his rations in half to conserve wine for the workforce. It was this view that led to widespread planting in order to serve the need of all classes. Part of this was due to the changing Roman diet. In the 2nd century BC, Romans started moving away from a diet that consisted of the moist porridge and gruel to more bread-based meals. Wine became a necessity to help in eating the drier