The lagynos was a wine jug used at banquets, and was especially popular during the Hellenistic period. A passage attributed to Eratosthenes and quoted by Athenaeus (VII, 276a-c) records a festivity instituted by Ptolemy IV Philopator called Lagynophoria, which was held in Alexandria, Egypt, in honour of Dionysus. During the festivity, a banquet took place in which the participants drank wine from their individual lagynos.