The rules of drug taking: wine and poppy derivatives in the ancient world. II. Wine-induced loss of control and vigilance.

The loss of control, the misjudgment of events, and the lack of vigilance were among the effects of drunkenness that the Ancients perceived as being particularly harmful. The sexual behavior was mainly affected by the loss of control: rape, incest, and fulfillment of a tragic oracle were examples of the ruinous outcome of drunkenness. Excessive drinking, besides the intervention of a good, was considered responsible for a temporary loss of judgment, which could be fatal for the drinker. Finally, several mythological examples were provided to support the view that drunk people were harmless in front of the enemy.