--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our way would seem quite familiar to the…" description: "\"“Our way would seem quite familiar to the Romans, more by far than the Greek way. Socrates in the Symposium, when Alcibiades challenged him to drink tw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b8/edith-hamilton-7366_alcibiades_our-way-would-seem-quite-familiar-to-the_778929.jpg" --- # Our way would seem quite familiar to the Romans, more by… ![“Our way would seem quite familiar to the Romans, more by far than the Greek way. Socrates in the Symposium, when Alcibiades challenged him to drink two quarts of wine, could have done so or not as he chose, but the diners-out of Horace's day had no such freedom. He speaks often of the master of…” quote by Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b8/edith-hamilton-7366_alcibiades_our-way-would-seem-quite-familiar-to-the_778929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b8/edith-hamilton-7366_alcibiades_our-way-would-seem-quite-familiar-to-the_778929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b8/edith-hamilton-7366_alcibiades_our-way-would-seem-quite-familiar-to-the_778929.jpg) > ““Our way would seem quite familiar to the Romans, more by far than the Greek way. Socrates in the Symposium, when Alcibiades challenged him to drink two quarts of wine, could have done so or not as he chose, but the diners-out of Horace's day had no such freedom. He speaks often of the master of the drinking, who was always appointed to dictate how much each man was to drink. Very many unseemly dinner parties must have paved the way for that regulation. A Roman in his cups would've been hard to handle, surly, quarrelsome, dangerous. No doubt there had been banquets without number which had ended in fights, broken furniture, injuries, deaths. Pass a law then, the invariable Roman remedy, to keep drunkenness within bounds. Of course it worked both ways: everybody was obliged to empty the same number of glasses and the temperate man had to drink a great deal more than he wanted, but whenever laws are brought in to regulate the majority who have not abused their liberty for the sake of the minority who have, just such results come to pass. Indeed, any attempt to establish a uniform average in that stubbornly individual phenomenon, human nature, will have only one result that can be foretold with certainty: it will press hardest on the best.”” [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Roman attempts to enforce uniform drinking limits illustrate how regulating individual behavior for the minority’s safety often burdens the most disciplined. **In simple terms:** Uniform rules can unfairly pressure the temperate while trying to curb excess. Key Takeaway Design policies that target excess without over‑restricting the prudent. Themes law society human nature Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - public health regulations - alcohol laws - traffic speed limits - tax brackets - school grading systems Key Concepts ethics public policy social control Questions to Reflect On - How can policies protect the vulnerable without over‑penalizing the disciplined? - What alternatives exist to uniform limits? A Different Perspective One‑size‑fits‑all rules can stifle excellence and create resentment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Drunkenness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunkenness/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Hard to handle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-to-handle/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibition/) [Rome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rome/) [Symposium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symposium/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“Even now I'm well aware that if I allowed myself to listen to him I couldn't resist but would have the same experience again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/even-now-i-m-well-aware-that-if-i-allowed-myself-to-listen-to-him-i/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“Many a present-day Alcibiades, who laves all the week in the muddy waters of life, comes on Sundays to cleanse himself in the pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-shestov/many-a-present-day-alcibiades-who-laves-all-the-week-in-the-muddy/) [Lev Shestov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-shestov/) > [“Alcibiades held on to him in the same way he held on to all beautiful things- as though her were somewhat afraid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaida-jones/alcibiades-held-on-to-him-in-the-same-way-he-held-on-to-all-beautiful/) [Jaida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaida-jones/) > [Alcibiades had a very handsome dog, that cost him seven thousand drachmas; and he cut off his tail, "that," said he, "the Athenians may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/alcibiades-had-a-very-handsome-dog-that-cost-him-seven-thousand/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [ “It was about that time \[415 BCE\] that the poet Diagoras of Melos was proscribed for atheism, he having declared that the non-punishment of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-robertson/it-was-about-that-time-415-bce-that-the-poet-diagoras-of-melos-was/) J. M. Robertson > [Being summoned by the Athenians out of Sicily to plead for his life, Alcibiades absconded, saying that that criminal was a fool who studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/being-summoned-by-the-athenians-out-of-sicily-to-plead-for-his-life/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [“If I am in love, many things about the world, not just the immediate object of my love, seem lovable. To say 'I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-waterfield/if-i-am-in-love-many-things-about-the-world-not-just-the-immediate/) Robin Waterfield > [“The boundaries between us had been breached for good, we gave a new meaning t the notion that man and wife were one flesh.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorna-sage/the-boundaries-between-us-had-been-breached-for-good-we-gave-a-new/) Lorna Sage > [When a person meets the half that is his very own, whatever his orientation, whether it's to young men or not, then something wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/when-a-person-meets-the-half-that-is-his-very-own-whatever-his/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And the true order of going, or being led by another, to the things of love, is to begin from the beauties of earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/and-the-true-order-of-going-or-being-led-by-another-to-the-things-of-2/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“I'm here to present my findings at the symposium. 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In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-atkinson/although-birds-coexist-with-us-on-this-eroded-planet-they-live/) [Brooks Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-atkinson/) > [And the true order of going, or being led by another, to the things of love, is to begin from the beauties of earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/and-the-true-order-of-going-or-being-led-by-another-to-the-things-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Plato's Symposium shows that flirtation and philosophy can further one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/plato-s-symposium-shows-that-flirtation-and-philosophy-can-further/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## More by Edith Hamilton > [Poetry and preaching do not go well together; when the preacher mounts the pulpit the poet usually goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/poetry-and-preaching-do-not-go-well-together-when-the-preacher-mounts/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [When faith is supported by facts or by logic it ceases to be faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/when-faith-is-supported-by-facts-or-by-logic-it-ceases-to-be-faith/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [Ages of faith and of unbelief are always said to mark the course of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/ages-of-faith-and-of-unbelief-are-always-said-to-mark-the-course-of/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [None so good that he has no faults, None so wicked that he is worth naught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/none-so-good-that-he-has-no-faults-none-so-wicked-that-he-is-worth/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [To be able to be caught up into the world of thought-that is educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/to-be-able-to-be-caught-up-into-the-world-of-thought-that-is-educated/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [Convention, so often a mask for injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/convention-so-often-a-mask-for-injustice/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [Myths are early science, the result of men's first trying to explain what they saw around them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/myths-are-early-science-the-result-of-men-s-first-trying-to-explain/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [A people's literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/a-people-s-literature-is-the-great-textbook-for-real-knowledge-of/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [“He drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek and make Hell grant what Love did seek. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/he-drew-iron-tears-down-pluto-s-cheek-and-make-hell-grant-what-love/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [Mind and spirit together make up that which separates us from the rest of the animal world, that which enables a man to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/mind-and-spirit-together-make-up-that-which-separates-us-from-the/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [It has always seemed strange to me that in our endless discussions about education so little stress is laid on the pleasure of becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/it-has-always-seemed-strange-to-me-that-in-our-endless-discussions/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [When we speak of beauty, we're speaking of something we're more or less indifferent to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/when-we-speak-of-beauty-we-re-speaking-of-something-we-re-more-or/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [Love, however, cannot be forbidden. The more that flame is covered up, the hotter it burns. Also love can always find a way. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/love-however-cannot-be-forbidden-the-more-that-flame-is-covered-up/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [In theology the conservative temper tends to formalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/in-theology-the-conservative-temper-tends-to-formalism/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [The Old Testament is the record of men's conviction that God speaks directly to men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/the-old-testament-is-the-record-of-men-s-conviction-that-god-speaks/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) [Explore all 92 Edith Hamilton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) ## More Alcibiades quotes > [“Even now I'm well aware that if I allowed myself to listen to him I couldn't resist but would have the same experience again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/even-now-i-m-well-aware-that-if-i-allowed-myself-to-listen-to-him-i/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Being summoned by the Athenians out of Sicily to plead for his life, Alcibiades absconded, saying that that criminal was a fool who studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/being-summoned-by-the-athenians-out-of-sicily-to-plead-for-his-life/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [ “It was about that time \[415 BCE\] that the poet Diagoras of Melos was proscribed for atheism, he having declared that the non-punishment of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-robertson/it-was-about-that-time-415-bce-that-the-poet-diagoras-of-melos-was/) J. M. Robertson > [“Alcibiades held on to him in the same way he held on to all beautiful things- as though her were somewhat afraid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaida-jones/alcibiades-held-on-to-him-in-the-same-way-he-held-on-to-all-beautiful/) [Jaida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaida-jones/) > [“Many a present-day Alcibiades, who laves all the week in the muddy waters of life, comes on Sundays to cleanse himself in the pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-shestov/many-a-present-day-alcibiades-who-laves-all-the-week-in-the-muddy/) [Lev Shestov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-shestov/) > [Alcibiades had a very handsome dog, that cost him seven thousand drachmas; and he cut off his tail, "that," said he, "the Athenians may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/alcibiades-had-a-very-handsome-dog-that-cost-him-seven-thousand/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) Browse all 7 Alcibiades quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Our way would seem quite familiar to the Romans, more by far than the Greek way. Socrates in the Symposium, when Alcibiades challenged him to drink two quarts of wine, could have done so or not as he chose, but the diners-out of Horace's day had no such freedom. He speaks often of the master of the drinking, who was always appointed to dictate how much each man was to drink. Very many unseemly dinner parties must have paved the way for that regulation. A Roman in his cups would've been hard to handle, surly, quarrelsome, dangerous. No doubt there had been banquets without number which had ended in fights, broken furniture, injuries, deaths. Pass a law then, the invariable Roman remedy, to keep drunkenness within bounds. Of course it worked both ways: everybody was obliged to empty the same number of glasses and the temperate man had to drink a great deal more than he wanted, but whenever laws are brought in to regulate the majority who have not abused their liberty for the sake of the minority who have, just such results come to pass. 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