Classical Greece: When and how to eat

Greeks commonly ate two meals a day, a lighter ariston at the end of the morning and a heavier deipnon in the early evening; among the leisured classes the latter might lead into a potos or symposion (a drinking party, often with things to eat as well) which could go on all night.

In some areas of S. Greece the typical meal in classical times appears to have been a communal one, served in a public hall. In ‘Homeric’ houses, large or small, meals took place in the one main room, megaron; diners sat on chairs and stools. In Athens and other cities, by the 4th century, houses of the middle and upper classes had more rooms than this, and ordinary meals would take place in a less public location. One room, andron, was however reserved for men’s entertaining and was furnished with couches on which guests reclined (one or two per couch), a fashion imported from eastern civilizations. At the beginning of the meal a small table, freshly scrubbed, was placed in front of each diner or of each couch. Food from the serving dishes might be taken directly onto the table, or onto bread, and eaten with the fingers; for soups and stews a bowl might be supplied. Bread served for spoons. When dessert was about to be brought the tables were changed.