Krasion - wine in the Byzantine era
Λεπτομέρεια από τη μετάληψη των Αποστόλων, 1105/6. Αψίδα του Ιερού Βήματος, ναός της Παναγίας Φορβιώτισσας στην Ασίνου.Χριστόδουλος Χατζηχριστοδούλου 2009. Ο Ναός της Παναγίας Φορβιώτισσας στην Ασίνου, σελ. 14. Λευκωσία: Πολιτιστικό Ίδρυμα Τραπέζης Κύπρου.
Name - Origin
Κρασί.
According to Byzantine sources, vine growers were engaged in a wide range of tasks within the 'ambelónes' (vineyards), such as planting new vines, called 'neóphyta', caring for new vines and renewing the old ones. Large vineyards with presses etc, either belonged mainly to monasteries and powerful landowners or were part of royal estates (Anagnostakis 2008, p. 19-20).
Functional and symbolic role
Apart from bread, the other two main products that complete the triptych of Byzantine diet and food trade are wine and, to a lesser degree, oil (Gerolymatou 2008, p. 77). The Byzantines used to mix wine with hot water to avoid getting drunk (Koder 2005, p. 21). Among the well-known wines of the Byzantine provinces (such as Crete, Ikaria, Rhodes, Samos and Naxos), was the 'finest Cypriot wine', which is highly praised by Synesios Kyrenis (Koukoules 1952, p. 125).
Τhe Mediterranean trilogy of wine, oil and bread was the basic prerequisite for the performance of Christian mysteries and sacred ceremonies, so the Christian empire had to make these products available for its needs and also to promote them as its main productive characteristics. Wine was interconnected Christianity. Along with prosforo (bread) the fine, red wine produced by a special process, the so-called 'anima' or 'nama' is used for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, in commemoration of the redemptive death and resurrection of Christ (Anagnostakis 2008, p. 16).
Additional information and bibliography
Byzantine poet Ptohoprodromos refers to the sweet wine of Cyprus, Crete and the Aegean islands. During the transitional period of the Arab domination in the Mediterranean, it was probably the last time in the military ration that quantities of wine from Cilicia, Syria and Cyprus were being transferred for the army of Heraklion (Anagnostakis 2008, p. 43).
Archim. Kyprianos (1788) Ιστορία Χρονολογική της Νήσου Κύπρου, Evagoras Press, Nicosia.
Stalo Lazarou
