Food and Society in Classical Antiquity [Hardcover]

A general study of food in antiquity, broadly based and comprehensive.This is a general study of food in antiquity, broadly based and comprehensive. The book deals with food as food or nutrition, the discussion revolving around the concrete issues of food availability and the nutritional status of the population. It also treats the non-food uses of food, focusing on the role of food in forming and marking the social hierarchy. Food defines the group, whether social, religious, philosophical or political.This is a general study of food in antiquity, broadly based and comprehensive. The book deals with food as food or nutrition, the discussion revolving around the concrete issues of food availability and the nutritional status of the population. It also treats the non-food uses of food, focusing on the role of food in forming and marking the social hierarchy. Food defines the group, whether social, religious, philosophical or political.This is a broad-based, comprehensive general study of food in antiquity. The book deals with food as food or nutrition, the discussion revolving around the concrete issues of food availability and the nutritional status of the population. It also treats the nonfood uses of food, focusing on the role of food in forming and marking the social hierarchy. Food defines the group, whether social, religious, philosophical or political.List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Preface; Introduction: food, substance and symbol; 1. Diet; 2. Food and the economy; 3. Food crisis; 4. Malnutrition; 5. Otherness; 6. Forbidden foods; 7. Food and the family; 8. Haves and havenots; 9. You are with whom you eat; Conclusion: choice and necessity; Bibliographical essay; Bibliography; Index. ...this reviewer found the book most valuable, especially in its findings on (mal)nutrition. Its engaging and honest style, moderate price in paperback, and brevity make it a sensible choice for undergraduate courses on classical antiquity, and its bold poslƒ‰