Drug use in Ancient Civilizations

Although most societies in the world today inhibit in any sort of drug use, especially for recreational purposes, many ancient civilizations such as the Romans and the Greeks were fond drug users.
Hillman's new book, The Chemical Muse: Drug Use and the Roots of Western Civilization, takes a closer look at the use of drugs by the ancient Greeks and Romans. "The early Greek philosophers who inspired the mental revolution that influenced the birth of democracy were the biggest drug-using lunatics of them all," attests Hillman. "Seriously, they were much more like medicine men than philosophers. So not only did democracy spring up in a drug-using culture, but its roots lie in a drug-using, shamanistic, intellectual movement. I think it's perfectly safe to say: 'No drugs, no democracy.'"

Hillman also says this tradition of drug use has largely been written out of history by scholars and historians, who have brought their own moral perspectives to the texts. He says it parallels what happened with language. Why is drug use such taboo if it actually helped these ancient civilizations in betterment of their society? The Greeks would send opium and honey to the wounded Spartan soldiers. Now we have pills for that, which are manufactured by billion dollar corporations that are affiliated with the corrupted gov't sector - lobbyists. After all, its the chemicals that effect us. The food we intake, the air we breath, and almost everything that effects us is because of the chemicals that it contains. So how is in-taking of multiple anti-depressant pills any better than natural drugs that these ancient civilizations used? Perhaps, money is the root too all evil.