i have to do this project and im stuck on this question. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME. i need to know dining customs in anicent greece? *websites will work too!* THANK YOU SOO MUCH
Greece - 1 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
The social exchanges that occur over food and wine were as important to the ancients as to us today. Important in creating and maintaining friendships and important in gaining an understanding of others through the exchange of ideas. As Plutarch, the first century historian, observes, "A guest comes to share not only meat, wine, and dessert, but conversation, fun, and the amiability that leads to friendship." Plutarch goes on to add, what all of us who have spent any time lingering over wine with friends intuitively know, "drinking together does give men a chance to get some understanding of each other." Dinner in antiquity was almost always a social affair shared with a few close friends at someone's home. Friendships, which Cicero said, "unites human hearts", were strengthened over shared meals. The ancients considered the ideal number of guests for a dinner party to range from three, for the number of Graces, to nine, for the number of Muses. However, for weddings and other important events upwards of 100 guests might be invited. The ideal number of guests was cause for much debate in antiquity. Some hosts speculated that small numbers of guests were preferable to avoid the embarrassment of running out space or wine and food. Others, such as Plutarch maintained, "If both space and the provisions are ample, we must still avoid great numbers, because they in themselves interfere with sociability and conversation." For informal, small dinner parties, the ancient Greek or Roman host extended a verbal invitation, usually during a workout at the public baths. For larger or more formal events, messengers delivered hand-written invitations to guests. Several, written on papyrus, were discovered at the Alexandria library in Egypt. One wedding invitation from the third century AD reads, " Theon son of Origenes invites you to the wedding of his sister tomorrow, Tubi 9, at the 8th hour." My favorite, also from the third century, states, "Greeting, my lady Serenia, from Petosiris. Make every effort, dear lady, to come out on the 20th, the birthday festival of the god, and let me know whether you are coming by boat or by donkey, in order that we may send for you. Take care not to forget, dear lady. I pray for your lasting health." Interestingly in antiquity the place of honor varied from country to country. For some it was the head of the table and for others the central section. According to the first century historian, Plutarch, the seat of honor is for "the Persians the most central place, occupied by the king; the Greeks the first place; the Romans the last place on the middle couch." The ancients debated about whether the host should assign seats or not. Plutarch, the first century historian, among others, discussed the philosophical merits of "whether the host should arrange the placing of his guests or leave it to the guests themselves." Then, just as now, both assigning seats, and not, had merit. Some ancients argued that seats should be assigned to give due respect to a guest's age and rank. They considered it rude not to assign persons of special status a place of honor or not seat him near other important guests. Others, also in favor of assigning seats, felt the decision should be based on who will get along rather than on rank. "For it is not prestige, but pleasure which must determine the placing of guests; it is not the rank of each which must be considered, but the affinity and suitability of each to each." However, still others argued that the guests should decide for themselves where and with whom they are most comfortable sitting. Dining rooms in ancient Rome were richly decorated with frescos, mosaics, and wall hangings. The floor was made festive with scattered flower petals. Servants in antiquity ceremoniously washed guest's hands and offered them a drink as they entered the host's home. Homer mentions this practice as far back as 700 BC, "Heralds brought the water at once and rinsed their hands, and the young men brimmed the mixing bowls with wine and tipping first drops for the gods in ever cup they poured full rounds for all." "The wine urges me on, the bewitching wine, which sets even a wise man to singing and to laughing gently and rouses him up to dance and brings forth words which were better unspoken." Homer, The Odyssey In antiquity, wine was drunk diluted and it was up to the hosts discretion to determine the ratio of water to wine, the size of the wine cups, and how many rounds of wine would be served -- the norm being a 50-50 ratio with 3 rounds. Socrates, a frequent guest at symposia, was noted as being in favor of "small cups sprinkled frequently, so that we will be seduced into reaching a state of amusement, instead of being forced by the wine into drunkenness." Apparently however drunkenness was often a consequence, as there are many ancient remedies for hangovers. Wine grapes have been cultivated in the Mediterranean since antiquity. "Do not i
