A Companion to Food in the Ancient World
Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World Series

A Companion to Food in the Ancient World presents a comprehensive overview of the cultural aspects relating to the production, preparation, and consumption of food and drink in antiquity.

? Provides an up-to-date overview of the study of food in the ancient world

? Addresses all aspects of food production, distribution, preparation, and consumption during antiquity

? Features original scholarship from some of the most influential North American and European specialists in Classical history, ancient history, and archaeology

? Covers a wide geographical range from Britain to ancient Asia, including Egypt and Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, regions surrounding the Black Sea, and China

? Considers the relationships of food in relation to ancient diet, nutrition, philosophy, gender, class, religion, and more

List of Illustrations viii

Notes on Contributors ix

Abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1
John Wilkins and Robin Nadeau

Part 1 Literature and Approaches 17

1 Food in Greek Literature 19
Richard Hunter and Demetra Koukouzika

2 Athenaeus the Encyclopedist 30
Oswyn Murray

3 Food in Latin Literature 43
Matthew Leigh

4 Cookery Books 53
Robin Nadeau

5 Medical Literature, Diet, and Health 59
John Wilkins

6 Food and Ancient Philosophy 67
Paul Scade

7 Food, Gender, and Sexuality 76
Florence Dupont

8 Class and Power 85
Elke Stein‐Hölkeskamp

9 The Archaeology of Food Consumption 95
Martin Pitts Copyrighted Material

10 Roman Food Remains in Archaeology and the Contents of a Roman Sewer at Herculaneum 105
Mark Robinson and Erica Rowan

11 Anthropology and Food Studies 116
Sarah Hitch

12 Art and Images: Feasting in Ancient Greece and Rome 123
François Lissarrague

Part 2 Production and Transport 133

13 Animals, Meat, and Alimentary By‐products: Patterns of Production and Consumption 135
Christophe Chandezon

14 Fish 147
Dimitra Mylona

15 Agriculture 160
Geoffrey Kron

16 Storage and Transport 173
Robert I. Curtis

17 Supplying Cities 183
Paul Erdkamp

Part 3 Preparation 193

18 Men, Women, and Slaves 195
Andrew Dalby

19 Kitchens 206
Bradley A. Ault

20 Baking and Cooking 212
Nicolas Monteix

21 Dining in Ancient Greece 224
Pauline Schmitt Pantel

22 Symposium 234
Sean Corner

23 Royal Feasting 243
Konrad Vössing

24 Roman Dining 253
John F. Donahue

25 Table Manners 265
Robin Nadeau

26 Wine Appreciation in Ancient Greece 273
Thibaut Boulay

Part 4 Cultures Beyond Athens and Rome 283

27 Food, Culture, and Environment in Ancient Asia Minor 285
Stephen Mitchell

28 Food among Greeks of the Black Sea: the Challenging Diet of Olbia 296
David Braund

29 Mesopotamia 309
Brigitte Lion

30 Food in Ancient Egypt 319
Pierre Tallet

31 “Celtic” Food: Perspectives from Britain 326
Martin Pitts

Part 5 Food and Religion/Great Food Cultures 335

32 Sacrifice 337
Sarah Hitch

33 Jewish Meals in Antiquity 348
Jordan D. Rosenblum

34 Food and Dining in Early Christianity 357
Dennis E. Smith

35 Byzantium 365
Béatrice Caseau

36 Medieval Food 377
Bruno Laurioux

37 Food in Antiquity: the Islamic Dimension 383
David Waines

38 The Ideological Foundations of the Food Culture of Pre‐Imperial China 393
Françoise Sabban

Bibliography 403

Index 453

John Wilkins is Professor of Greek Culture at the University of Exeter. His books include Food in Antiquity (1995), Food in the Ancient World (Wiley-Blackwell 2006) and Galien: Sur les facultés des aliments (2013).