The vine in Antiquity

By Raymond Billiard This large book is a sum of passion, knowledge, and experience. The title only gives a faint idea of its content: Billiard did not only address vineyards, he wanted to cover everything related to wine, from the soil where the vines are planted, their cultivation methods, winemaking, the economic issues of running a vineyard and selling wine, to the different ways of drinking, as well as the history of vineyards throughout antiquity. None of the ancient sources on wine were foreign to him. He is familiar with secular and sacred literary texts, legal collections, inscriptions, iconography, and even the little that archaeology could contribute at his time to the knowledge of ancient wine. All of this is part of a vast knowledge of the ancient world in general. Published in 1913, this work is a skillful combination of three talents: Raymond Billiard, through his studies, was a jurist, although he practiced little due to health reasons. He then preferred to devote himself to the family vineyard in Beaujolais. His experience and knowledge as a winemaker blend with the true passion he has for the study of antiquity. To prepare this book, he spent several months at the Vatican Library and "explored" eighty museums in France, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Algeria, and Tunisia. And all this knowledge is presented here in a clear style. Publisher: Jeanne Laffitte (1997), 17 x 24 cm, 560 pages, hardcover, ISBN: 2862763217