Food in the Ancient World

In Food in the Ancient World, a respected classicist and a practising world-class chef explore a millennium of eating and drinking. Explores a millennium of food consumption, from c.750 BC to 200 AD. Shows the pivotal role food had in a world where it was linked with morality and the social order. Concerns people from all walks of life – impoverished citizens subsisting on cereals to the meat-eating elites. Describes religious sacrifices, ancient dinner parties and drinking bouts, as well as exotic foods and recipes. Considers the role of food in ancient literature from Homer to Juvenal and Petronius.

Figures. Preface. Timeline. Map of the Mediterranean. Introduction. 1. An Overview of Food in Antiquity. Introduction. 2. The Social Context of Eating. Introduction. 3. Food and Ancient Religion. Introduction. 4. Staple Foods: Cereals and Pulses. Introduction. 5. Meat and Fish. Introduction. 6. Wine and Drinking. Introduction. 7. Food in Ancient Thought. Introduction. 8. Medial Approaches to Food. Introduction. 9. Food in Literature. Recipes. Bibliography. Index.