Sweet wine mixed with honey and scented with a hint of spices, served to open the meal. Sweet, comforting, it is the cup of hospitality and learned conversation.

Why this dish? Watered wine accompanied the scholar's life, and mulsum — honeyed wine — traditionally opened the meal or the symposion, that moment of conversation where, among scholars, one discussed celestial matters. A drink of moderation: sweet but diluted, never intoxication, always the balance dear to the philosopher.

Before speaking of spheres, one speaks of men — and for that, one offers a cup. I prepared this honeyed wine for those who came to discuss under my roof the course of the planets: good wine, honey from Hymettus or the hives of Egypt beaten long, a hint of that warming pepper. Sweet, yes, but always cut with water — for the measured man drinks as he thinks, without excess. Drink a cup, and may the conversation rise as high as the stars.

How it was made : Mulsum (wine + honey) was the standard aperitif drink of the Romans and Greeks; diluting wine with water was a mark of civility, while drinking it undiluted was considered barbaric. Honey was also used to preserve and sweeten sometimes harsh wines.

The contemporary twist : Served chilled in a light version (lots of water, little honey) with a lemon zest, it becomes an 'ancient spritz' without strong alcohol, perfect for toasting while telling the story of the Almagest.

Sources : Apicius, De re coquinaria (conditum, mulsum) · Pliny the Elder, Natural History (honeyed wines)

Ptolemy · Charactorium