"While Jews used food to distinguish themselves religiously as a chosen people, the Greeks used food to show that they were civilised people in a barbarian world. The social etiquette rules, and diets around food reinforced this. They saw the feasts of the Persians as morally decadent. Overeating and conspicuous consumption were barbaric. Drinking wine straight up was barbaric. The Greeks approached both eating and drinking alcohol with frugality, to highlight their idea of themselves as poor but free people."