Symposiarch

Origin: At Greek symposia a symposiarch was chosen, often by a roll of the dice. He decided how strongly the wine was mixed, since drinking it unmixed was considered barbaric. Plato and Xenophon describe such gatherings, where the order of speaking and the topics were as regulated as the drinking.

How to play:

1. Roll or draw lots for who becomes symposiarch
2. They set the mix for the whole table, for example one part drink to two parts water or juice
3. They announce a topic each round, discussed one by one
4. They decide when the table drinks, nobody drinks earlier

Drinking:

• Drink without an order and you hand your cup to your neighbour
• Contribute nothing to the topic and you drink
• Criticise the symposiarch openly and you are deposed into the role yourself next round

Appeal: The office looks harmless and is not. A good symposiarch keeps a table happy for hours and everyone sane.