This Attic month (Hekatombaion) also includes the annual festival of the Panathenaea, which Don mentioned in his Video on the location of the Garden outside the walls of ancient Athens.
History and Culture of Early Epicureans: Ancient Greece and Rome
Reminder to All Members - Join Us For Our First Monday Meet and Greet Zoom - at 8:00 PM EST - Members who have recently joined EpicureanFriends are especially welcome!
-
-
You can look at the dates for that festival on the calendar at;
It will occur in August on our calendar.
-
On ancient Greek diet:
QuoteGreeks of that time were very fond of fish, perhaps even more than we are today. For lunch, they would routinely dine on any fresh fish that was available, including sea bream, mullet, sardines, and eels.
There was always an assortment of legumes from which to choose, including lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas and broad beans to accompany the fish.
The eternal European staple of bread was always part of the midday meal, accompanied by cheese, olives, eggs, nuts, and fruit.
https://greekreporter.com/2022/08/04/ancient-greeks-were-gourmands-with-a-preference-for-fish/
-
Another good article, the full article has lots of good details.
QuoteAncient Greeks enjoyed a varied diet of vegetables, legumes, and fruit as the mainstay. But, being a coastal country with many islands, fish and seafood were an important part of the diet and animal husbandry and hunting brought meats and game to the menu. However, the consumption of fish and meat varied in accordance with the wealth and location of the household.
List of the Various Foods Enjoyed by Ancient GreeksAncient Greek foods were similar to the foods we know today, except the variety was limited. Learn about ancient Greek foods and how they evolved.www.thespruceeats.com -
Homemade Cheese, In Ancient Roman Style:
QuoteHere's something that people made and ate more than two millennia ago, but familiar to all of us. Art historian and chef Nancy De Lucia Real shares a simple cheese recipe that Romans would have eaten in Gaul (modern-day France), cited in writer Pliny's Latin text, "Natural History" written in 77 AD, that says the best cheeses came from the villages near what is now the city of Nîmes in southern France. You don't need to go all the way to Europe to try this Roman staple -- this cheese is easily replicated at home.
Homemade Cheese
Makes one 4-inch round cheese
Since this traditional recipe uses organic whole milk and vinegar for coagulation, the resulting cheese is extremely fresh and without artificial additives. It will keep, covered in an airtight container and refrigerated, for 2 to 3 days.
1 gallon organic, whole milk
½ cup white, distilled vinegar
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
Pour the milk into a 10 to 12-quart saucepot and heat, stirring constantly, until almost boiling.
When milk begins to smoke and almost boils, remove the saucepot from heat.
Immediately stir in the vinegar; let stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a strainer with cheesecloth, and set it over a large pot or bowl (bowl should be placed inside the sink).
After 10 minutes, pour the milk-vinegar mixture into the cheesecloth set over strainer. The solids (curds) should separate from the yellowish liquid (whey).
Stir the salt into the whey in bowl and then pour it over the curds in the strainer.
Let the curds continue to drain in the strainer for one hour.
Discard the liquid or whey.
After the cheese has finished draining, tighten the cloth around the cheese.
Loosen the cheesecloth and, using a soup spoon (or one that is slightly larger), gently scoop out the cheese and transfer it to a glass or porcelain bowl measuring 8 to 9 inches in diameter.
Pat the cheese into a ball and cover it with plastic wrap.
Store the fresh cheese in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Homemade cheese keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
Variation: You can experiment with different varieties of cheese by adding ground black pepper, dried, red chili peppers, or your favorite herbs.
Recipe: Homemade Cheese, in the Ancient Roman StyleThis simple cheese recipe would have been made and eaten by Romans more than two millennia ago.www.kcet.org -
My wife and I recently watched the Netflix series on the Blue Zones – places where a higher percentage of people live to healthy old age: https://www.netflix.com/search?q=blue%20zones&jbv=81214929
We had read the book years ago. I was particularly interested in the Greek island of Ikaria, because of the (loose) connection to Greek culture. Here is the article on Ikaria from the Blue Zone site: https://www.bluezones.com/explorations/ikaria-greece/
I have never been really careful with diet – largely ignoring, for example, my gluten sensitivity (which recently nailed me after a delicious pasta meal). Now, I am trying to cut out gluten-grains – as well as finely milled non-gluten breads and the like (I seem to recall that the rapid digestion of such can spike insulin). Non-gluten, intact grains only. Tonight will be lentils and brown rice, with a side of lean chicken and a small salad.
In recent years, I have also had two or three recurring (mild) bouts of gout – which is tuning me into anti-inflammation considerations, including a host of herbs and spices (e.g. ginger, garlic – of which we are robust consumers anyway – coriander, oregano, etc.: to list the more “Mediterranean” ones, although trade brought in, say, black pepper from India).
Okay, more veggies and fruits! The wine stays! But I am switching to organic wine with no added sulfites (like “Our Daily Red”: https://ourdailywines.com/products/our-d…ganic-red-blend. )
Basically, the “Mediterranean Diet” without the bread and pasta (and pizza – Oh no!).
+++++++++++++++
Disclosure: I’m 72.
-
“Nobody gives a damn about schedules on Ikaria. Businesses open late. Time slows. Days slide into a gentle rhythm.” https://adventure.com/blue-zones-ikaria-greece/
“My grandmother is 88 and acts like she is 30. She gardens, takes care of her animals, goes out for coffee, jokes about sex, dances at parties. She has even been known to play spin the bottle!” Eftychia Afianes (ibid).
– Sounds exactly like my paternal grandmother, who died one month shy of her 99th birthday. [She is my ultimate Epicurean hero! Her uptight, stoical-virtue-bound son (my father, who didn’t like her much) sadly died at age 59.] She was an avid gardener, who would hoe and grub in the dirt all day -- and then come down the stairs in her evening dress to go play bridge with "the ladies." She normally ate frugally -- but her garlic-stuffed leg of lamb on the occasional family feast was quasi-legendary! She was a feisty flapper-era (as a young woman) proto-feminist. And I will always be grateful to her for how much she shared.
-
“ … in Classical Era Athens, the purchase of all fish by a wealthy citizen was considered an undemocratic act since he left nothing for the rest of the people.” https://greekreporter.com/2022/08/04/anc…rence-for-fish/ cited by Kalosyni in post #43 above.
After reading “Cicero and His Clamorous Silences” by Aoiz and Boeri (https://www.academia.edu/82815606/CICER…MOROUS_SILENCES), I am convinced this criticism would be endorsed by Epicurus and the Garden.
-
… in Classical Era Athens, the purchase of all fish by a wealthy citizen was considered an undemocratic act since he left nothing for the rest of the people.” https://greekreporter.com/2022/08/04/anc…rence-for-fish/ cited by Kalosyni in post #43 above.
I somehow didn't see that in that article, and it is a little bit confusing because that same article says this:
QuoteAs for processed fish, such as preserved tuna and anchovies, they were widely consumed by all social classes and were the product of a very flourishing trade throughout the Mediterranean and the adjacent seas.
-
Kalosyni Quote "As for processed fish, such as preserved tuna and anchovies, they were widely consumed by all social classes and were the product of a very flourishing trade throughout the Mediterranean and the adjacent seas."
My only guess is that there was a societal norm aimed at preventing the very wealthy from negatively impacting that wide consumption.
-
Quote
During the Archaic period, Greek men wore a long chiton; thereafter, except for charioteers, priests, and the elderly, they wore a knee-length version. Sleeved chitons were worn by actors and priests. Patterns and colours varied with the times and with the status of the wearer.
Quotehimation, mantle or wrap worn by Greek men and women from the Archaic through the Hellenistic periods (c. 750–30 bce). A very large rectangle of fabric, the himation was draped in different ways—e.g., as a shawl, a cloak, or a head covering—during various periods.
Usually made of white wool, the version worn by women could be of coloured silk or cotton. A somewhat shorter Greek wrap was known as a chlamys.
From my reading...It seems that women sometimes wore three layers and men wore one or two layers of fabric.
-
I am still mulling over what Epicurus might have worn. Would Epicurus have worn something that conveyed the image of status and wealth? I personally would think that he would have worn something more plain (but perhaps there were festival days in which a finer weave of cloth was worn).
I found an article "What Did Jesus Wear" which also talks about ancient Greek clothing, and you can see a picture of a sculpture of Demosthenes, which gives some insight into possible clothing of Epicurus.
And so of course this would have been a little later than Epicurus:
QuoteMuch is now known about clothing in 1st and 2nd century Judaea, because
many fragments of the tunics worn by people then have been found in caves
and tombs bordering the Dead Sea, where the dry climate has allowed their
preservation. For example, picture 6 shows a tunic recovered from the Cave
of Letters, a burial site near the Dead Sea. From the archaeological remains,
and from comparable art from Egyptian mummy portraits, Pompeii and
elsewhere, we can visualise what people wore. It is clear that Judaeans were
part of the Mediterranean world and dressed much like everyone else.
An ordinary man in Jesus’ world would wear a short tunic, called a chiton,
in Greek (in Latin a tunica) and a woman would wear an ankle-length one.
The long version, the stole, in Greek (or stola in Latin), was understood to
be women’s clothing, when not worn by high-status men. A higher hemline
indicated masculine wear.
QuoteThe long, rough mantle of some philosophers (worn without a tunic
underneath) could be called a tribon – literally a ‘worn thing’, or even a ‘rag’
– or a peribolaion, a ‘wrap’. Their garment, if a long diploida, a ‘double’ piece
of cloth, was distinguished by quality from the expensive type of wrap the
gods would wear. These were generally worn wrapped around the middle
of the body under the armpits and then slung over the left shoulder, as we
see in the sculpture of Demosthenes.
Regarding the Mediterranean (but not specifically Athens):
QuoteColourful clothes, like long garments, were associated with women’s attire.
...However, one cannot be too absolute in an association between colour
and women’s wear. In Pompeian frescoes, both men and women are shown
with coloured tunics and mantles, even though the men are also dressed in
white or undyed tunics. Tough guys might choose to eschew colour, but
it was always a choice, and not a rule. One factor that could easily offset a
manly preference for undyed or white clothing was the concern to show
riches and status.
Clothing found in Masada and the caves by the Dead Sea is often highly
coloured: bright shades of red, yellow, orange, blue, green, and types of
purple, including bold, striped cloth for blankets and rugs. In visualising
clothes in Jesus’ time, these remains ask us to imagine people wearing a
kaleidoscope of hues. The question then is whether dyed clothes mainly
belonged to women? Or did these clothes sometimes belong to wealthy
men who wished to show they could afford expensive dyes,...
https://christianevidence.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/What-Did-Jesus-Wear.pdf
-
The idealized garb of philosophers among the Greeks was taken from the symbols of Cynicism: a cloak to keep off the elements, a bag or purse to hold all of one's worldly possessions, and a staff for walking. The staff and purse are shown on the Boscoreale treasure's philosophy cup. No cloak was necessary here--all of the figures on the cup are skeletons, underlining the link between philosophy and death.
But Epicurus was not a Cynic. He also didn't hold forth publicly in the regimented world of the gymnasiarchs. Presumably he wore what was handy, some of it purchased and some, perhaps, gifted.
Plato's Academy mosaic - Wikipediaen.m.wikipedia.orgThis mosaic from Herculaneum is thought to depict Greek philosophers as Romans would have imagined them.
-
Found this article on history of cheese in Greece:
Intro to Greek CheesesGREEK CHEESES - A SHORT HISTORY The single most distinguishing characteristic of Greek cheese is that most of it is made with sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, or a…www.dianekochilas.com -
In last night's Zoom meeting a PDF document by Bryan contained an image of Epicurus with calendula flowers. (Bryan perhaps if by chance you feel you want to upload the image to the gallery?)
I looked up and found this info on Wikipedia.
QuoteAncient Romans and Greeks used the golden Calendula in many rituals and ceremonies, sometimes wearing crowns or garlands made from the flowers. ...
...Calendula officinalis oil is still used medicinally as an anti-inflammatory and a remedy for healing wounds.
-
I am part way through Heroes, the second volume of Stephen Fry's Mythos series, and can heartily recommend them as a good reintroduction to Greek mythology. The audiobooks, read by Fry himself, are especially pleasant. The work is narrative and not scholarly, but the stories are good and the author is passionate about then.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07SLLYGF6?ref_=dbs_m_mng_wam_calw_tkin_0&storeType=ebooks
-
For those who want to check which libraries near them have the print book
Heroes : the Greek myths reimagined | WorldCat.orgIn this continuation of "Mythos," Stephen Fry recounts the stories of the human heroes found in Greek mythology, with illustrations of classical art inspired…search.worldcat.org -
-
Max Miller has some great Greek and Roman recipes and history on his channel.
-
I might try this one since I have some pears and eggs. I don't have the fish sauce, and thinking of ways to tweek this into a sweeter dessert, and may use butter instead of olive oil.
Patina de Piris (Patina of Pears) — Tasting HistoryA sweet egg frittata-like dish that has a classic combination of ancient Roman flavors of long pepper, garum, and cuminwww.tastinghistory.com -
Unread Threads
-
- Title
- Replies
- Last Reply
-
-
-
November 2024 General Thoughts On What Epicurean Philosophy Means To Me. 3
- Cassius
November 29, 2024 at 11:25 AM - General Discussion
- Cassius
December 3, 2024 at 9:18 AM
-
- Replies
- 3
- Views
- 261
3
-
-
-
-
Prolepsis / Anticipations As Epicurus' Answer to the MENO Problem 34
- Cassius
October 31, 2024 at 1:20 PM - General Discussion
- Cassius
December 1, 2024 at 6:38 AM
-
- Replies
- 34
- Views
- 1.9k
34
-
-
-
-
Stoics Aren't Ascetics... It's Those Epicureans! 9
- Don
November 29, 2024 at 7:41 AM - General Discussion
- Don
November 29, 2024 at 7:18 PM
-
- Replies
- 9
- Views
- 391
9
-
-
-
-
Epicurean Views On How To Integrate "Anger" Into A Healthy Life 17
- Cassius
April 1, 2022 at 5:36 PM - Philodemus On Anger
- Cassius
November 27, 2024 at 8:20 AM
-
- Replies
- 17
- Views
- 3.1k
17
-
-
-
-
Atoms Make Up the Human Psyche 3
- kochiekoch
November 26, 2024 at 6:11 PM - General Discussion
- kochiekoch
November 27, 2024 at 7:32 AM
-
- Replies
- 3
- Views
- 277
3
-