Dining at the End of Antiquity
Class, Status, and Identity at Roman Tables
- 361 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
The history of dining is a story that cannot be told without archaeology. Surviving texts describe the opulent banquets of Rome's wealthy elite but give little attention to the simpler, more intimate social gatherings of domestic invitation dinners. The lower classes, in particular, are largely ignored by literary sources. We can, however, find the voices of the underprivileged by turning to the material detritus of ancient cultures that reflects their social history. Dining at the End of Antiquity brings together the material culture and literary traditions of Romans at the table to reimagine dining culture as an integral part of Roman social order. Through a careful analysis of the tools and equipment of dining, Nicholas Hudson uncovers significant changes to the way different classes came together to share food and wine between the fourth and sixth centuries. Reconstructing the practices of Roman dining culture, Hudson explores the depths of new social distances between the powerful and the dependent at the end of antiquity.
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Information
Table of contents
- Imprint
- Subvention
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: Roman Tables
- 1. âWe Should Invite Friendsâ: The Written Evidence
- 2. âBring the Couch Red with Fine Linenâ: The Physical Elements of Atmosphere
- 3. âLordly Dishesâ: Table Equipment
- 4. âGleaming Paneled Vaultsâ: Architecture, Furniture, and Lighting
- 5. Images of Communion
- 6. âFor the Sake of Eatingâ: Patrons at the Table
- 7. âFor the Sake of Livingâ: Clients at the Table
- 8. âNone Should Suffer Wrongâ: Social Justice and Division at the End of Antiquity
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index