Beyond performance: aspects of commensality practices in informal meals in Ancient and Middle Greek comedy

Abstract

The present paper aims to study in the fragmentary corpus of Ancient and Middle Comedy four types of commensality practices, linked to private banquets: the deîpnon apò symbolôn, a banquet sustained by individual contributions; II. The epidósimon deîpnon or a banquet for free; III. The synagógimon deîpnon or picnic; IV. The tetradistaí related to the banquets held on the fourth day of the month. While the scenes involving great banquets have often been the object of study, both in Aristophanic comedy and in other genres, the practices of private banquets have been analyzed only in a lateral way. Our study intends to make a contribution in such a topic, bearing in mind that a strong relationship between social and economical practices is perceived.