James Davidson - Courtesans and Fishcakes - The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens

James Davidson

William Collins

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Published by Fontana Press 1998

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 1997

Copyright © James Davidson 1997

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‘James Davidson shows in this stylish, persuasive, scholarly book how classical Athens relished eating, drinking and copulating … It is a serious work, though always seasoned with wit, not only because it puts forward new ideas about big issues in social and cultural history, but also because it has a message for our times, a message unobtrusively but insistently registered.’

OLIVER TAPLIN, Observer

‘Commendably sceptical, Courtesans and Fishcakes is a significant contribution to Classical studies and marks an impressive debut. We will hear more from Mr Davidson.’

CHRISTOPHER STACE, Daily Telegraph

‘“Model democracy,” or model for sensualists everywhere? Ancient Athens – or at least its ruling class – took pleasure very seriously, and this highly enjoyable study concentrates on the important things in life: food, drink and sex. There are fascinating details here about both prostitution and the hetaeras; some of Davidson’s most amusing passages tell of the faux-respectable interpretations put, by prudish scholars, on frankly pornographic vase paintings and verses … For all its entertainment value, this is a serious contribution to classical studies.’

Independent on Sunday

‘A splendid story … Davidson’s canvas is vast.’

PETER JONES, Sunday Telegraph

‘A relaxed interpretation of sensual life in the time of Pericles, Socrates and Plato. Courtesans and Fishcakes is about sex, food and drink and the part all three played in developing Athenian identity. Where others have found exploitation and outrage, Davidson is more likely to have found fun. He spars with Foucault and Freud, biographers and bishops, with open glee.’

PETER STOTHARD, The Times

‘James Davidson with skill teases out deeper meanings from ancient literature to provide an absorbing look at society and politics in the world’s first democracy. If classical history had been like this at school I might have tasted its joys long before now … This book is itself a feast.’

DAVID STAFFORD, Scotland on Sunday

‘It is fashionable for classicists to lament the passing of their light. They have largely themselves to blame. Obsessed with arid language they continued to sell their vision of eternal oranges and sunshine in a land where people ate apples and it rained a lot. So we lost sight of a world that was vibrantly alive. Books like Courtesans and Fishcakes are doing much to turn the tide … Davidson does well with his rich material. He has a fine eye for semantics. It is delightful to learn that the language of purest thought has 33 terms for abusing a tax collector – and 52 for praising a king. Courtesans and Fishcakes [is full of] good academic work, an excellent reinterpretation. But above all, Davidson brings ancient Athens unforgettably to life.’

ROSS LECKIE, The Oldie

‘A worldly study of ancient Hellenic appetites concentrating on eating, drinking, sex and politics – but mostly sex. Whether interpreting erotic images on vases, taking us room by room through a 5th century BC brothel, or explaining the various declensions of Athenian prostitutes, Davidson uses accessible yet scholarly prose.’

ANDREW ROBERTS, Mail on Sunday

‘Excellent, promising, written with biting clarity … to my delight, he blows Nietzsche full of holes and blasts Foucault out of the water. We will watch what he undertakes next with the expectation of delight.’

PETER LEVI, Spectator

‘There’s much fascinating information on the relationships in Ancient Greece between men, women, and boys.’

WILLIAM LEITH, Observer , Summer Reading

‘The motto of the ancient Athenians was “nothing in excess,” but they still knew how to enjoy themselves. James Davidson’s survey of their eating, drinking and sexual habits reveals a more inventively hedonistic society than previous studies of the period. While conspicuous consumption was taboo in the age of Socrates and Plato, the Athenians still drank vast amounts of wine, adopted a myriad of sexual positions and were as keen on exotic fish dishes as any Nineties foodie.’

The Week

‘enjoyable … a splendid debut’

Oxford Mail

‘Eating, drinking and sex were the abiding passions of Classical Athens, but have so far been treated as no more than pleasures indulged in by the wealthy. Now James Davidson puts these pleasures in the context of society and politics and comes up with some startling conclusions. If you thought you knew all about the ancient Greeks, be prepared for some surprises.’

Northern Echo

For D. A. D. and G. H. D.

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TITLE PAGE James Davidson