The views of Julius Caesar and Tacitus on the consumption of wine by the people of germania and gaul: identity and alterity between vices and virtues

Abstract

Wine is a non-human actor that served as a common symbol among the Romans. Its social agency operated as a representation of Roman identity and was used to construct and contrast cultural identities. We examine the role of wine in the works of Julius Caesar and Tacitus to understand how the beverage was employed to build and contrast cultural identities in ancient Rome. In Commentarii de Bello Gallico, Julius Caesar uses wine as a marker of civilization, contrasting the customs of the Gauls and Germans with Roman sophistication and justifying conquest as a civilizing mission. On the other hand, in Germania, Tacitus associates wine with moral corruption and the decadence of Roman society, extolling the simplicity and purity of the Germans as ideal virtues. The analysis of the descriptions and meanings of wine in these works reveals how the beverage served to reinforce cultural and moral stereotypes and to justify domination and social criticism. The study provides a perspective on Roman cultural interactions and the role of wine in shaping and critiquing social and cultural ideals.