Part 7/9:
The ancient Greeks had distinct eating customs that diverged significantly from our modern day. Tables filled with lavish dishes were rare in military settings. Instead, food was often limited to what could be prepared over small fires. Playwrights like Aristophanes and philosophers like Plato commented on their dining habits, emphasizing practicality in military provisionings.
The Spartan approach to dining stood in stark contrast. Known for their austere and discipline-driven lifestyle, Spartan soldiers consumed a broth known as melas zomos—a decidedly uninviting mixture. Such culinary traditions reflect the broader cultural values of the city-states of the time.