Praise for the hardcover edition:
“This book is indispensable both for ancient history and for food history. . . . Donahue offers fascinating reflections on public and private dining, doing for Roman politics what Pauline Schmitt did for the Greek polis. [He] brilliantly ties meal times into the practices of Rome’s Hellenistic predecessors and richly reflects the religious and cultural contexts of eating.”
—John Wilkins, University of Exeter
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"First published in 2004, this volume shone an important light on Roman feasting practices (e.g. epulum, cena, convivium and prandium). With a sharp focus on inscriptions, Donahue was able to provide an insightful and well-argued exploration of banquets in the Roman west. The enthusiastic examination of the evidence, and the willingness to draw upon a wide pool of scholarship, made this an essential work for anyone approaching food and feasting in the ancient world." Anthony Smart, CJ-Online
— Anthony Smart, CJ-Online