Archestratus: Fragments from the Life of Luxury

This remarkable and almost unique work was written in the 4th century BC by the poet Archestratus, from Gela, a Greek colony in Sicily. The complete text has vanished but these fragments come from a much later book by Athenaeus. Archestratus’ description of the foods, particularly fish, available, how they should be cooked and where found in the best condition is testimony of the strength of the Mediterranean tradition. His cooking can best be called the nouvelle cuisine of the ancient world, and contrasts piquantly with the strongly flavoured dishes of Apicius. The Greek verse has been translated into prose and set in context in the introduction. This is a paperback edition of the work first published by Prospect Books in 1994. Translated from the ancient Greek.

Archestratus was a Greek writer who lived around 350 BC on the island of Sicily.