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The Story of the Colonizer Wound

Roman colonization implements alcohol as a tool of trade and control.

Date: 20s BCE

The Story of The Colonizer Wound
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Just as will happen later on Turtle Island, part of the strategy of Roman colonization is to use wine and other forms of alcohol as a tool of control. Celts do not have money, so Roman markets agree to trade people for wine. What is called a "Celtic bargain" is to trade one enslaved person for an amphora (about seven gallons) of wine. Because the Celts do not consume alcohol, they have no tolerance for it. This means that high incidents of alcoholism emerge among Celtic communities. Alcohol is used as a tool of colonization because of how it weakens and overwhelms the bodies of those who are not accustomed to consuming it.