Archestratos of Gela: Greek Culture and Cuisine in the Fourth Century BC

Archestratos of Gela was the author of a mock-epic poem, most likely entitled the Hedupatheia or Life of Luxury, that presented itself as a gastronomic tour of the Mediterranean world. Written sometime in the first two-thirds of the fourth century BCE, the Hedupatheia was widely read in the late classical and early Hellenistic periods and was translated into Latin by Ennius, through whom it influenced the work of later Roman poets including Horace. It survives today in fragments totalling about 330 lines. The Hedupatheia is a fundamental source for our understanding not only of fourth-century literature but also of the significance of food and dining and the reception of epic poetry in late classical society. This edition is based on a fresh examination of the manuscripts and is the first to combine an authoritative critical text of the fragments with a translation, a detailed philological and historical commentary, and an extensive introduction situating the poem in its literary, social, and cultural context.