ATHENAEUS of Naucratis.

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Deipnosophistae, in Greek. Editio princeps. The only extant work of Athenaeus of Naucratis, Sophists at Dinner has been described as an "encyclopaedia under the disguise of a dialogue" (Sandys, p. 330): containing countless anecdotes from ancient authors on food, wine, and dining customs, this is an invaluable source of information on ancient daily life.The title Deipnosophistae can be literally translated as "men learned in the arts of the banquet". The work is an account of a series of banquets held at the house of the Roman pontiff Larentius, attended by major exponents of all disciplines - including Democritus, Galen, Ulpian and Plutarch - who discuss extensively of grammar, poetry, rhetoric, music, philosophy, and medicine. "Food and drink, cups and cookery, stories of famous banquets, scandalous anecdotes, specimens of ancient riddles and drinking songs and disquisitions on instruments of music are only part of the miscellaneous fare which is here provided. We are indebted to the quotations in Athenaeus for our knowledge of passages from about 700 ancient writers who would otherwise be unknown to us" (ibid.). Also included is the text of the earliest known recipe by a named author (Mithaecus) in any language, and what may be considered to be the first patents (i.e. exclusive right granted to an inventor).The text was edited by the prominent Greek scholar Marcus Musurus (c.1470-1517), from an early 10th-century manuscript (Marcianus Gr. 447). A native of Odemira, modern

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