In the past, raising your glass was a tribute to the gods and the deceased, today it is a nonreligious ritual connected to celebrations and conviviality. Toasting has an ancient history that dates to more than 5000 years ago. According to some testimonies, already the Egyptians would often raise their glasses at weddings. The Greeks and Romans carried on the custom. In a cup like a patera, phiale or kylix, in an amphora like a gutturnium or in a large jug like a rython, they would pour drinks, especially wine, to thank the gods or to honour the deceased. Before making a toast, they would put toasted breadcrumbs in the cup to reduce the acidity of the wine, often considered too bitter. In the tumultuous period of the Roman republic, the toasting ritual could have served to poison opponents. Hitting the glasses together would have allowed the poisoned drink to contaminate the enemy’s glass. The shape of the containers made it possible to poison without creating a scandal. 39
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