The Ancient Cup That Punishes Greed

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]Pythagoras Yeah, also called the cup of greed or greedy cup. It's a special drinking cup from ancient Greece designed so that if you fill it past a certain level, it empties completely.

[00:00:08]Hmm. Isn't that cool?

[00:00:09]>> That's brilliant. Oh, it's cuz it's a siphon. Yeah, that's >> Yes, it's got a hidden siphon inside the central cup. If you pour wine below the marked line, the cup works normally. If you pour above the line, the siphon activates and the entire cup drains out through the bottom of the stem. For someone who tries to take more than their fair share, they end up with nothing. Legend says Pythagoras used it to teach moderation and fairness among workers and students, and the lesson is greed causes you to lose everything.

[00:00:33]Isn't that [ __ ] cool?

[00:00:34]>> So Greek. Isn't that sick?

[00:00:36]>> Moderation. Yeah.

[00:00:37]Wise man, Pythagoras.