The recreational uses of opium were known in ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt, although it seems to have been used primarily for medicinal purposes as an analgesic and narcotic drug.

The seeds, or leaves were chewed to relieve pain and it may have been brewed or smoked. Of course, people figured out you could get high on it shortly after(or before, who knows?) its medicinal uses were discovered, but it is hard to pin down exactly how widespread use was and it likely varied depending on the time and place.

Marcus Aurelius the Roman Emperor actually endorsed the plant and apparently used it regularly.