Courtesans and Fishcakes

<p>A brilliantly entertaining and innovative history of the ancient Athenians' consuming passions for food wine and sex.</p><p>Sex shopping and fish-madness Athenian style.</p><p>This fascinating book reveals that the ancient Athenians were supreme hedonists. Their society was driven by an insatiable lust for culinary delights - especially fish - fine wine and pleasures of the flesh. Indeed great fortunes were squandered and politicians' careers ruined through ritual drinking at the symposium or the wooing of highly-coveted costly prostitutes.</p><p>James Davidson brings an incisive eye and an urbane wit to this refreshingly accessible and different history of the people who invented Europe democracy and art.</p>