Roman mosaic depicting a still life of poultry, seafood, and produce. Tor Marancia, Rome; second century CE. Vatican Museums.
How to Eat: Ancient Dietetic Advice in the Modern World
Claire Bubb
ISAW
This lecture will take place in person at ISAW.
Registration is required at THIS LINK.
Food and diet have recently been enjoying a surge in modern medical attention. In many ways, this is an echo of the past, when the prevention of disease—via carefully calibrated and individualized diet, exercise routines, and sleep habits—was the cornerstone of good medical practice. This talk will introduce the topic of Greco-Roman dietetics, which prescribed highly tailored diet and exercise guidelines both to treat and, more importantly, to prevent illness. These dietetics are premised on, and offer insight into, sophisticated Greco-Roman understandings of the physiology of nutrition and the qualities inherent in different foods. In addition, despite the different scientific beliefs that underlie them, they also offer surprising parallels to modern discourse about nutrition, preventative medicine, and the role of the gut in health, prompting interesting reflections on how we approach diet and health today.
Claire Bubb is an Assistant Professor of Classical Literature and Science at ISAW. Her research focuses on Greco-Roman medicine and the biological sciences, with publications including Dissection in Classical Antiquity: A Social and Medical History (Cambridge, 2022) and Medicine and the Law under the Roman Empire (Oxford, 2023; w/ M. Peachin). Her latest book, How to Eat: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers (Princeton, 2025), offers translations of dietetic extracts from a variety of ancient authors and is the first major output of her current research focus on theories of diet, digestion, and food in Greek and Roman medical, philosophical, and cultural thought.
The reception following this lecture will celebrate Claire Bubb's book publication, How to Eat: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers (Princeton, 2025), and other recent publications by ISAW community members.
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