Keep in mind that while it is called vinegar in translations, leading one to equate it with the strong flavored vinegar of today, the actual ingredient involved was a form of low quality wine or wine which had gone sour. Which was much cheaper than 'good' wine and easier to get, and often used in cooking much like we might use the stronger vinegar today. The addition of honey and herbs was meant to help improve the flavor and mask the low quality of the wine being used.

Modern vinegar, while often fermented from wine or cider, is generally fermented longer and then distilled, resulting in a much stronger product.