Food in the Ancient World:
Subsistence and Symbol
Professor Sue Alcock
Department of Classical Studies; 2029H Connector Building; 936-3888
Office Hours: Wednesday, 2-5 pm
salcock@umich.edu
Monday September 9 The mechanics of food production
Read: Osborne, 'Farming the countryside' (in course pack)
Wednesday September 11 Survival strategies
Begin reading: Karanis: An Egyptian Town in Roman Times
Friday September 13 An introduction to Karanis
Finish reading: Karanis: An Egyptian Town in Roman Times
Monday September 16 Consumption: calories and symbols
Read: Brothwell, 'Foodstuffs, cooking and drugs' (in course pack); Coetzee in Food: The Vital Stuff; Lewis in Food: The Vital Stuff
Wednesday September 18 Cereals and staples
Read: Forbes and Foxhall, 'The queen of all trees' (in course pack)
Friday September 20th Museum Practices I
Monday September 23 Holy Beef and Suspicious Fish
Read: Purcell, 'Eating fish: the paradoxes of seafood' (in course pack)
Wednesday September 25 Liquid refreshment
Read: Gusfield, 'Passage to play: rituals of drinking time in American society'; Lissarrague, 'The Greek experience of wine'; Grivetti, 'Ancient sayings about wine' (in course pack)
Friday September 27 Study time in the Kelsey
Monday September 30th Study time in the Kelsey
Wednesday October 2nd Museum Practices II
Friday October 4th Where to eat...
Read: Fisher, 'Greek associations, symposia and clubs' (in course pack)
Monday October 7th With whom to eat...
Read: Fisher, 'Roman associations, dinner parties and clubs' (in course pack)
Wednesday October 9th The Rituals of Dinner
Friday October 11th Symposium
Read: Plato, Symposium; Lissarrague, 'Drinking Games' (in course pack)
Monday October 14th Watching the 'other' feed
Read: Leach, 'Oysters, smoked salmon and stilton cheese'; Vernant, 'Food in the Country of the Sun' (in course pack)
Wednesday October 16th Cannibals and kings
Friday October 18th Special diets I
Read: Farb and Armelagos, 'Eat not of their flesh'; Douglas, 'The abominations of Leviticus' (in course pack)
Monday October 21st Special diets II
Read Smith in Food: The Vital Stuff; Visser in Food: The Vital Stuff
Wednesday October 23rd Going hungry: food shortage
Read: Nelson, 'On approaching famine' (in course pack); Sen in Food: The Vital Stuff
Friday October 25th Going hungry: famine
Read: Garnsey, 'Famine and shortage'; Garnsey, 'Responses to food crisis in the ancient Mediterranean world' (in course pack)
Monday October 28th Food and status: you are...
Read: Garnsey, 'Mass diet and nutrition in the city of Rome' (in course pack)
Wednesday October 30th Food and status: what you eat... Read: Foden in Food: The Vital Stuff
Friday November 1st 'Mid-Term' Examination
Monday November 4th Food and status: Roman Meals
Read: D'Arms, 'The Roman convivium and the idea of equality'; D'Arms, 'Slaves at Roman convivia' (in course pack)
Wednesday November 6th Food and gender: seeds of honor, fields of shame
Read: Visser, 'Feeding, feasts and females' (in course pack); Banerji in Food: The Vital Stuff; Shapiro in Food: The Vital Stuff
Friday November 8th Food and gender: the edible woman
Read: Dubois, 'Oven' (in course pack)
Monday November 11th Food and gender: mothers and babies
Wednesday November 13th Food and fighting; marching on your stomach
Friday November 15th Food and burial: eating the dead
Monday November 18th Food and 'morality': funny food, funny people
Read: Gowers, 'An approach to eating' (in course pack) (PAPER DUE)
Wednesday November 20th Food and 'morality': gluttony vs. restraint
Friday November 22nd Food and 'morality': the world on a plate
Monday November 25th Divine meals: food and the gods
Read: Ward, 'St. Mary of Egypt: the liturgical icon of repentance' (in course pack)
Wednesday November 27th Holy Feast and Holy Fast
Read: Bynum, 'Fast and feast: the historical background' (in course pack)
Friday No Class Thanksgiving and Turkey
Monday December 2nd Food and sex
Read: Foucault, The diet of pleasures' (in course pack)
Wednesday December 4th Food = Sex?
Friday December 6th Satyricon
Read: Petronius, Satyricon (in course pack)
Monday December 9th Wrap up and review
Wednesday December 18th FINAL EXAMINATION (10:30-12:30)