Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens

A brilliantly entertaining and innovative history of the ancient Athenians' consuming passions for food, wine and sex.Sex, shopping and fish-madness, Athenian style.This fascinating book reveals that the ancient Athenians were supreme hedonists. Their society was driven by an insatiable lust for culinary delights - especially fish - fine wine and pleasures of the flesh. Indeed, great fortunes were squandered and politicians' careers ruined through ritual drinking at the symposium, or the wooing of highly-coveted, costly prostitutes.James Davidson brings an incisive eye and an urbane wit to this refreshingly accessible and different history of the people who invented Europe, democracy and art.

• | Author: James Davidson
• | Publisher: Fontana Press
• | Publication Date: Jul 20, 1998
• | Number of Pages: 400 pages
• | Binding: Paperback or Softback
• | ISBN-10: 0006863434
• | ISBN-13: 9780006863434