As we have seen, the Greeks from the seventh century BC on associated beer particularly with the Thracians and neighbouring peoples (Paeonians, Phrygians, and Scythians) as well as the Egyptians, and in misunderstanding its nature considered it a drink inferior to wine. Greeks already knew of the Celts from the sixth century BC on, and at least by the fourth century BC could speak of them as a people who overindulged in drink. Thus, as we have seen in the last chapter, Plato so characterized the Celts, and perhaps he knew of their drinking habits through his encounter with the Celtic mercenaries hired by Dionysius of Syracuse, at whose court he stayed. It would be among the Celts that the Greek (and later Roman) views on the superiority of wine would first have a great impact. After looking at the evidence for drinking practices among the prehistoric Celts, this influence will be traced among the Celts of southern Gaul, Celtiberia, northern Gaul, and finally Britain.1