2 Lutz, Viliculture and Brewing. 



The culture of the grapevine started very early in Egypt ^ 

 We learn that during the time of the Thinitic rulers, and even 

 in pre-dynastic Egypt, vineyards had been planted for the 

 purpose of providing funerary wines for the early rulers of 

 Egypt 2. Viticulture seems to have been particularly engaged 

 in during the time of the IV., V., XII., XVII. and XVIII. to 

 XIX. dynasty, judging from the pictorial representations of 

 those periods, which refer to viticulture, vintage and the mak- 

 ing of wine. 



The best vineyards of Egypt were situated in the Delta 

 and the country not far south of it. The oldest vineyards 

 had been planted in the vicinity of Memphis. South of the 

 Delta the wine produced particularly in the Arsinoitic nomos 

 (i. e., modern Fayyum) was renowned. The capital of the Arse- 

 noite nome was CrocodilopoHs-Arsinoe, Eg}'ptian Shedet. 

 Modern Kiman Paris, "the riders' hills", mark the side of the 

 ancient city. Regarding the Arsinoite nome Strabo XVII, 

 i> 35 (C 8o8) says "It produces wine in abundance". This 

 contradicts Herodotus' statement (II, jf), where he says of 

 Egypt oO ydp ocpi elOi ev rfj X^^P^l ap.neAoi. But this 

 author contradicts also his own words. In II, 42 and 144 

 Osiris is considered to be Dionysos. In II, 60 he narrates 

 the journeys to Bubastis, where all Egypt gets drunk with 

 wine, and when more wine is drunk than during all the 

 rest of the year. Again he states that every man of the 

 body-guard receives four cups of wine (II, 168). In II, I33 

 he mentions the drinker Mykerinos and in II, 37 he states 

 that even priests drink wine. Finally in II, 121 he mentions 

 the chief-mason's son, who made the guards drunk with 

 wine. Athenaeus found pleasure in the Mareotic wine. The 

 grape, according to him was remarkable for its sweetness. The 

 wine is thus described by him: "Its color is white, its quality 

 excellent, and it is sweet and light, with a fragrant bouquet; 

 it is by no means astringent, nor does it affect the head" 

 (Virg. Georg. II, 91). The grape was white and grew in a rich 



i) For an indication of viticulture in Nubia in predynastic times may 

 be taken the grape-seeds that were found in the stomach of the Nubians, 

 Cf. Bull. Nub. 2. 55 grape-seeds together with melon-seeds and barley husks. 



2) See Chapter II. 



