Gastronomy of Greece from the times of Mycenaean civilization: wine, honey and meat in Homer poems

In the publishing house “New Literary Review” The book of Vitaly of the backwater comes out “The cuisine of the ancient world”. The author explores the gastronomic traditions of antiquity, studying sources from the emergence of civilization to the end of antiquity.

The backwater fascinatingly talks about the preferences of the ancients: what sweets loved in Mesopotamia, what the cuisine of ancient Jews looked like, and why some nations looked Choose beerand others – wine.

In Mycenaean Greece They no longer consumed beerunlike other crops. Homersinging the exploits of the kings of that era, only mentions winecalling him “Life -giving”, “Funny heart” And “Divine-sweet drink”. Even the sea at Homer – “Wine-black”. On Mycenaean (different from the classic language of ancient Greece) The word “wine” sounds like “Wo-no”that is close to a modern understanding.

Wine in Homer's poems Multifunctional. It is used as a sacred drink for sacrifices Olympic gods. For example, heroes poured wine from cups, praying Zeus: “Everyone poured and loudly prayed to the eternal gods”. Achilles used a special cup for libations only to Zeus: “Filling the cup, he became in the middle of the court and prayed, praying wine”. Pisistrat, the son of Nestor, brought wine AthenaWhat she liked: “The Cup with the wine of the incense”. In the anthem of K. Gestia From the Homerian hymns it is indicated that each feast began with a libation of her: “It’s not to be a feast that the first to you and the last sweet wine could not be done”.

For people, the wine was a source of power: “Wine is a person and vigor and fortress”. It was also used in funeral rites – the cartridge bonfire was extinguished with wine: “The log house was faded, pouring the space with crimson wine”. Homer mentions the origin of wines with Lemnosa And Ismara in Thrace, as well as vineyards in Epidaurus And Arne: “Epidaurus, abundant grapes”. Archeology confirms the importance of wine: in Mycenae Found “House of Vinoakers”, and in Pilosin the palace of Nestor, are wine warehouses.

Olive oilor “E-RA-WO”was a key culture. Olives (“E-RA-WA”) They were widely grown, what the pilots and Mycenae are talking about. Oil was used in funeral rites and stored in large quantities in the Pilos Palace. Homer compares the fall of the hero with a torn olive tree: “Like olives, which the husband entrusted”.

Homer describes the Alkinoy garden with apples, pears, grenades, Smokvami And grapes: “A pear behind a pear, behind an apple apple, smokva for a fig”. Smokva (“Su-ZA”) Drying and stored in ceramics. Among the seasonings in the tablets are indicated coriander (“Ko-ri-ja-do-no”), caraway (“Ku-Mi-No”), mint (“Mi-Ta”) And sesame (“SA-SA-MA”).

Heroes of Homer preferred meat: beef, lamb, venison, with bread, without vegetables. The fish was considered unworthy of food, but they did not eat fruits. Patroclle cooked meat on fire: “Rooped up the coals, Pelid spinning over the fire extends”. Circe treated Odysseus with meat and bread: “Behind her, the maids carried bread and meat in the abundant”. The guts also used: “Having merged their hips and tasting the uterine from the closed”. Antina offered stomachs stuffed with blood and fat: “These goat stomachs lie on fire, we have prepared them for dinner”.

Cheese (“TU-RO”) was known. Aphrodite fed children cheese and honey: “Sweet, sweet red wine and sweet honey”. Circe cooked a drink with cheese and wine, but with a potion: “Cheese, green honey and venerable flour involved”. Cyclops found cheese baskets.

Honey (“Me-Ri”) occupied a special place, often used for sacrifices. Homer mentions him in the funeral rites and storage of Odyssey, where honey was lying next to gold and wine.

Note

Micenaean Greece (approximately 1600–1100 BC) is characterized by the use of linear letter B, and some terms are already recorded in Mycenaean tablets. However, for the later poems of Homer (XII century BC), the names of products are often given in the classic ancient Greek, since its language is closer to the Homeric epos.

Products of Mycenaean Greece: Names in the ancient Greek language

In Mycenaean Greece, as described in the book of Vitaly of the backwater “The cuisine of the ancient world”They used a variety of products. Here are their names on ancient Greek language With transcription:

• Wine: οἶνος (oinos), [ˈoi̯.nos]; Mycenaean: “Wo-no”.
• Olive oil: ἔλαιον (Elaion), [ˈe.lai̯.on]; Mycenaean: “E-RA-WO”.
• Olive: ἐλαία (Elaia), [eˈlai̯.a]; Mycenaean: “E-RA-WA”.
• Honey: μέλι (meli), [ˈme.li]; Mycenaean: “Me-Ri”.
• Cheese: τυρός (tyros), [tyˈros]; Mycenaean: “TU-RO”.
• Smokva: σῦκον (sykon), [ˈsyː.kon]; Mycenaean: “Su-ZA”.
• Apples: μῆλον (mēlon), [ˈmɛː.lon].
• Pear: ἄπιον (apion), [ˈa.pi.on].
• Grenades: ῥοιά (rhoia), [rʰoi̯ˈa].
• Grape: σταφυλή (staphyl third), [sta.pʰyˈlɛː].
• Coriander: κορίαννον (koriannon), [koˈri.an.non]; Mycenaean: “Ko-ri-ja-do-no”.
• Celery: σέλινον (Selinon), [seˈli.non]; Mycenaean: “SE-rino”.
• Dill: μάραθον (Marathon), [ˈma.ra.tʰon]; Mycenaean: “Ma-ra-tu-wo”.
• Caraway: κύμινον (kyminon), [ˈky.mi.non]; Mycenaean: “Ku-Mi-No”.
• Cyper: κύπαιρος (kypairos), [kyˈpai̯.ros]; Mycenaean: “Ku-PA-RO”.
• Mint: μίνθη (minthē), [ˈmin.tʰɛː]; Mycenaean: “Mi-Ta”.
• Cardamom: καρδάμωμον (kardamōmon), [karˈda.mɔː.mon]; Mycenaean: “Ka-da-mi-ja”.
• Sesame: σήσαμον (siresamon), [ˈsɛː.sa.mon]; Mycenaean: “SA-SA-MA”.
• Meat: κρέας (kreas), [ˈkre.as].
• Bread: ἄρτος (artos), [ˈar.tos].

Source link