The Loaded Table: Representations of Food in Roman LiteratureThis book offers a novel and unconventional approach to Roman culture, through food, or rather, food as it is represented in literature. Food is not generally thought of as the noblest of literary subjects, and this view is a legacy from the Romans, so it is curious that Roman writers chose so persistently to depict their society at the dinner-table. Why this was so, and what effect the inclusion of food had on the status of the literary texts that contained it, are among the questions discussed here. The book also addresses many of the problems that arise when a material subject is translated into words, and contains fresh interpretations of Latin texts that have been unjustly undervalued - comedy, satire, epigrams, letters, and iambics. While often regarded as something trivial and gross, food was in fact one of the most suggestive images for Roman civilization. |
Contents
Roman Satire | 109 |
Invitation Poems | 220 |
Horace Epode 3 | 280 |
Copyright | |
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The Loaded Table : Representations of Food in Roman Literature ... Emily Gowers Limited preview - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
ancient argues associations becomes beginning body Bramble called Catius Catullus cena civilization comedy comic compares connection context contrast convivial cook course critical culinary culture described dinner discussion dish eating epic epigrams Epodes example fact feast festival final fish flavour garlic gives Greek guests Horace Horace's host human iambic ingredients invitation jokes Juvenal kind language Latin literary literature look Mart Martial material meal meaning menu metaphor mixed mixture moral nature offered once origins parallel parody party Persius philosophical Plautus play Plin Pliny poem poet poetry poison presented reader recipe reference rhetoric Roman Rome satire satura Saturnalia says seems seen sense served smell social society stomach stuffed style suggests takes taste tion turns whole wine writing