048 Food, Wine, and the Symposium

The History of Ancient Greece

Ryan Stitt

History, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2017

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, we discuss how, when, and where different subgroups of ancient Greeks consumed food each day; what particular foods were part of each subgroups' diet; some famous early cookbook authors; viticulture and the economic, religious, and medicinal role of wine; the festival of Anthesteria in the month of Anthesterion (late February/early March), which celebrated the beginning of spring and marked the ceremonious opening of the wine jars from the previous autumn's harvest; and the symposion (drinking-party), an aristocratic social event which included philosophical/light-hearted discussions, musical performances, song-singing, storytelling, flirting, and competitions (such as kottabos, aka ancient wine pong)

Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2017/07/048-food-wine-and-symposium.html

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're going to be. So, The Hello and welcome back to the history of ancient Greece.
0:47.0	Episode 48, Food, Wine and the Symposium. Food played an important role in ancient Greek thought. Herodotus, for example,
0:58.3	identified people partly in terms of the food that they ate and what they drank. The Greek authors,
1:04.4	including Herodotus, Stessius, and Stravo took pleasure in describing the
1:09.3	decidence of non-Greek barbarians, in contrast to the Greeks who stress the austerity of their own diet.
1:17.0	Ancient Greek cuisine was characterized by its frugality, partly because of the physical and climatic conditions of the country and partly because this agricultural hardship was held as virtuous.
1:29.0	While they did not ignore the pleasures of eating, They valued the simplicity. Their diet was founded on the so-called
1:36.1	Mediterranean triad, wheat, olive oil, and wine. Our knowledge of ancient Greek cuisine and eating habits is derived mostly from Aristophanes as comedies and
1:46.6	quotes of other comedians and authors preserved by a third century 80 grammarian named Athanas in his work called the Dypno Sophisti or Dinner Party, as well as artistic evidence
1:59.4	provided by black and red figure vase paintings and terracotta figurines.
2:04.4	Over time, more and more Greeks presented themselves
2:07.6	as food connoisseurs.
2:09.7	From the Hellenistic period onward, the Greeks,
2:12.4	at least the rich, no longer appeared to be any more austere than the others.
2:17.6	The cultivated guests of the feast hosted by Athanas in the third century AD devoted a large part of their conversation of wine and gastronomy.
2:26.0	They discussed the merits of various wines, vegetables and meats, mentioning renowned dishes and Greek cooks.
2:34.0	The ancient Greeks consumed three to four meals a day.
2:37.0	Breakfast, or acratismos, consisted of barley bread,
2:42.0	dipped in wine, known a kratos, hence the name of the meal,
2:46.0	and was sometimes complimented by figs or olives.
2:49.0	They also ate a sort of pancake, called Taganitisitis which derived from Taganone meaning frying pan.
2:56.7	Taganites were made with wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curled milk.
	...

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