What happened at a symposium in ancient Greece?
The symposium (or symposion) was an important part of ancient Greek culture from the 7th century BCE and was a party held in a private home where Greek males gathered to drink, eat and sing together. Various topics were also discussed such as philosophy, politics, poetry and the issues of the day.
What is the traditional food of ancient Greece?
What did the Ancient Greeks eat? The main foods the Ancient Greeks ate were bread, made from wheat, and porridge, made from barley. They used lots of olive oil to cook and add flavor to dishes. They also ate a range of vegetables, including chickpeas, olives, onions, garlic, and cabbage.
What happens during a symposium?
A symposium is generally defined as a meeting organized so that experts in a given field can meet, present papers, and discuss issues and trends or make recommendations for a certain course of action.
How many people can be in a symposium?
To give you an idea of what to expect, our average event books between 70 and 120 paying delegates.
What was a Greek symposium?
A symposium is a ritualized drinking event in ancient Greece. Symposia are sometimes defined as banquets, but the official symposium usually occured after the consumption of food and is best understood as a drinking party (1).
How do you prepare for a symposium?
The Insider’s View to Organizing a Local Symposium
- Decide on the symposium topic.
- Pick a symposium name.
- Consider your budget.
- Obtain additional sponsors.
- Decide on major speakers.
- Give students, postdocs, and junior faculty a chance to shine.
- Decide on a schedule and draft a program.
- Use local connections.
What is symposium Greece?
What is the evidence for the symposium in Ancient Greek society?
Our evidence for symposia comes from illustrations on various types of Greek vases, archaeological remains of houses and of vessels used during symposia, and discussions and descriptions in ancient texts, such as Plato’s Symposium and Xenophon’s Symposium, both written around 360 B.C.E.
What did men do at symposia in ancient Greece?
Men were gathering in friends’ houses to attend Symposia. Someone would invite his friends to his house, in a special room called andronas (meaning “men’s room” in Greek). Women were not allowed in that room. Men would dine, drink, socialize, talk, philosophize, recite poems (Homer was a famous choice of course), laugh and enjoy themselves!
What was sex like in Ancient Greek society?
Men in ancient Greece engaged in sexual activity with both men and women and sex acts were frequently depicted on Greek vases.
What did the Greeks mean by’to drink like a Scythian’?
Lissarague, The Aesthetics of the Greek Banquet : 7. In this passage, Lissarague alludes to the expression used by the Greeks to indicated a person who drinks heavily and to the point of inebriation: “to drink like a Scythian.”