In vino veritas is a Latin phrase that means "in wine there is
truth."
The expression, together with its counterpart in Greek, "Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια" (En oinōi alētheia), is found in Erasmus' Adagia, I.vii.17. Pliny the Elder'
s Naturalis historia contains an early allusion to the phrase. The Greek expression is traced back to a poem by Alcaeus.
Herodotus asserts, and it is likely enough, that if the Persians decided something while
drunk, they made a rule to reconsider it when sober. Authors from Herodotus onwards, however, have dared to
add that if the Persians made a decision while sober, they made a rule to reconsider it when they were
drunk (Histories, book 1, section 133).
The Roman historian Tacitus described how the Germanic peoples always drank while holding councils, as they believed nobody could
lie effectively when
drunk.
The phrase is often continued as, "In vino veritas, in aqua sanitas", i.e., "In wine there is
truth, in water there is health."
The phrase is often continued as, "In
vino veritas, in aqua sanitas", i.e., "In wine there is
truth, in water there is
health."
