What if coffee was discovered during antiquity? In OTL, nobody really knows who first discovered coffee, but it seems to be during the 8th -10th centuries. There's a legend suggesting an Ethiopian goat farmer noticed his herd getting restless after eating certain red berries. So he takes the berries to a local priest. The priest tries them and stays awake all night. The next day we have coffee.
So what would happen if coffee was discovered earlier. During antiquity. Say, for the sake of our discussion, the discovery happens between 500 Before Counter and 100 Before Counter, during the proto-aksum kingdoms. The discovery could be either from a goat farmer like the OTL legend, or because an inquisitive child gets hyperactive after eating the pretty red berries. However you like.
The discoverers realize the potential and begin selling coffee to Egypt and Arabia. How would ancient Egyptians and early Nabateans take to this new spice? Would coffee be a drink for the elite, or a method of keeping slaves and workers awake? How would coffee's perception change in this scenario? Would coffee be a drink for the lower status, while tea from trade with ancient China and India remains a drink for the nobility and super-wealthy?