Askoliasmos

Ασκολιασμός (askoliasmos) was a game of balance and skill in which younger, more spry men attempted to stand atop a filled wineskin. The game inverted the realities of drinking: instead of the wine causing dizziness and disorientation, it was the wine's container that directly affected the player (Lissarrague 1990; 72). The game originated in the countryside but became more widespread over time. Some sources even claim that askoliasmos was a form of dance entertainment to its audience. The image in the lower left is an indication of how the image of askoliasmos was rendered after antiquity, using a satyr to indicate the joviality and likely drunkeness of the participant. Eventually the game's difficulty was increased by oiling the wineskin to make balancing even more difficult (Lissarrague 1990; 70).

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