Kottabos

Origin: Kottabos was the party game of Greek symposia in the 5th century BC, probably invented in Dorian Sicily. Vase paintings show guests reclining on couches, flinging the dregs of their wine at a metal disc on a stand. A hit won favour, often in the name of a beloved.

Setup: A light cup or plate balanced on an upturned bottle in the middle of the table, a towel around it. Everyone needs a cup with a small amount of liquid left.

How to play:

1. Hold the cup by the handle or the rim
2. Flick the remainder towards the target from the wrist, seated
3. Call out a name before the throw, classically someone you admire
4. A hit means the disc falls or rings audibly

Drinking:

• Miss: one sip
• Hit: the thrower hands out two sips
• Knock the whole stand over and you drink double

Practical: Use water or juice and play outside. The Greeks had slaves for the mopping, you have a living room floor.