"Originally published in 1996, The classical cookbook was the first book about ancient dining to draw from both Greek and Roman writings. (...) Each chapter describes a different kind of social gathering and the food that might have been served on such ocassion. From menu inspired by Homer's Odyssey in around 700 B.C. and the offerings at a typical Greek symposium or drinking party in fourth-century Athens to the special treats at a Macedonian wedding feast, the recipes presented here suggest the true variety of food and social life in the ancient Mediterranean." --sol.