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Explore the fact-checked online encyclopedia from Encyclopaedia Britannica with hundreds of thousands of objective articles, biographies, videos, and images from experts.

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Did not trade food due to unpeaceful relations iwth other countires.

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Although grilling was not invented in ancient Greece, they are the ones who popularized and because of them, grilling is very popular today.

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Greece is known for their famous olives which are still very popular to this day

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after sunrise, for breakfast, They ate fruit with bread dipped in wine. The bread was made from barley

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At mid-day, Lunch was usually bread and wine again with cheese  figs, or dried fish, and and some olives. greek olives are very famous and popualr to this day.

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Geography had a big impact on ancient Greece. since there were many water bodies, people could easily fish and get seafood

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Poor people mainly just ate vegeatbles and grown things and sometiomes meat

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They Had a very healthy diet consisting of grains, vegetables, meats, and fruits

they usually cooked a lot more and prepared their food in a more special way.

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They cooked in open fires

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The foods of ancient Greece were varied, with a concentration on vegetables, legumes, fruits, fish, and a variety of meats roasted on spits, boiled, or cooked in ovens. While the common person enjoyed eggs from quails and hens, legumes, olives, and most importantly bread made from barley, the meats were reserved for the wealthy. Water and wine were common throughout the day. Because sugar wasn't known, honey was the sweetener of most desserts.

Some customs of the time might seem odd nowadays, like cooking fish with cheese or watering down the wine. What typified ancient Greek food was the simplicity, and how it made the best out of a few ingredients. Our collection features dishes from back then so you can bring to your table some history in the shape of tasty soups, desserts, and beverages.

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A Flavorful Blast from the Ancient Greek Past

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The foods of ancient Greece were varied, with a concentration on vegetables, legumes, fruits, fish, and a variety of meats roasted on spits, boiled, or cooked in ovens. While the common person enjoyed eggs from quails and hens, legumes, olives, and most importantly bread made from barley, the meats were reserved for the wealthy.

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The prosperity of the majority of Greek city-states was based on agriculture and the ability to produce the necessary surplus which allowed some citizens to pursue other trades and pastimes and to create a quantity of exported goods so that they could be exchanged for necessities the community lacked. Cereals, olives, and wine were the three most produced foodstuffs suited as they are to the Mediterranean climate. With the process of Greek colonization in such places as Asia Minor and Magna Graecia Greek agricultural practice and products spread around the Mediterranean.

A Network of Smallholdings

The state did not control farming and crops were grown and livestock reared by private individuals on their own land. Indeed, the widespread practice of not permitting non-residents to own land meant that smallholdings were the norm. Another important factor which limited the amalgamation of land plots over time was that male children generally inherited equal shares of their parents' land. Farms at Athens ranged in size from 5 ha (the poorer citizens) to 5-10 ha (middle class) and 20 ha (the aristocracy). In Sparta farms were a little bigger on average, ranging from 18 ha for the smaller ones to 44 ha for those belonging to the richest citizens. The poorest citizens had no land at all and so, if they had no other skills of benefit to the community such as crafts, would have worked on the land of others for pay or leased land to work it themselves.

It is not clear if farmers always lived on their farms or resided in the city and travelled each day. It seems reasonable to suppose there was a mixture of both approaches which was probably dependent on the location of the land inherited by an individual (i.e. the proximity to the city and separation from other plots they owned) and their personal status such as being able to afford slaves (or helots in the case of Sparta) to work the land.

Only one-fifth of Greece has arable land so pressure to make best use of it was high.

Crops

The crops produced by the ancient Greeks were, of course, selected for their suitability to the Mediterranean climate. This has a combination of dry hot summers with mild winters providing plentiful rainfall. The irregularity of annual rainfall did mean that crop failure was a regular problem, though. Wheat crops may have failed once every four years and barley crops once every ten years because of insufficient water supply. Terrain, localised weather conditions, and different soils were also factors in making some areas more fertile than others. Indeed, as a whole, only one-fifth of Greece has arable land so pressure to make best use of it was high.

The most widely cultivated crop was wheat - especially emmer ( triticum dicoccum) and durum ( triticum durum) - and hulled barley ( hordeum vulgare). Millet was grown in areas with greater rainfall. Gruel from barley and barley-cakes were more common than bread made from wheat. Pulses were grown such as broad beans, chickpeas, and lentils. Vines to make wine and olives to produce oil completed the four main types of crops in the Greek world. Fruit (e.g. figs, apples, pears, pomegranates, quinces, and medlars), vegetables (e.g. cucumbers, onions, garlic, and salads) and nuts (e.g. almonds and walnuts) were grown by many private households.

Crop Management

Ploughing and sowing was carried out in October-November-December. It is interesting to note that there were no distracting religious festivals or records of Assembly meetings in Athens during this crucial and busy period. Vines were pruned back in the early spring, and grain harvested in May-June. Winnowing, threshing, and storage were done in June-July while grapes were gathered and made into wine and figs collected in September. In the autumn olives were harvested and pressed into oil. During the winter some hardier crops were sown and fields maintained.

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There is evidence of crop rotation, and fields were left fallow to allow soil nutrients to regenerate and moisture to build up. In more pressing times some fields would have been used continuously throughout the year or planted with multiple crops at the same time. Such crops as beans and lentils were also grown and reploughed back into the field to re-fertilise it or weeds could be left to grow as food for grazing animals. Small plots used for growing fruit and vegetables would have been irrigated with small water channels and cisterns. Trenches, if labour were available, were dug around trees to hold precious rainwater for where it was most needed.

Equipment used in Greek agriculture was basic with digging, weeding, and multiple ploughing done by hand using wooden or iron-tipped ploughs, mattocks, and hoes (there were no spades). Richer farmers had oxen to help plough their fields. Sickles were used to harvest crops, which were then winnowed using a flat shovel and baskets. Grains were then threshed on a stone floor which was trampled on by livestock (and which might also have dragged sledges for the purpose too). Grapes were crushed underfoot in vats while olives were crushed in stone presses.

The ancient Greeks did not manage large herds of livestock for the purposes of creating a saleable surplus and specialised pastoralism, with its necessity to seasonally move animals between pastures in different climate zones (transhumance), is not recorded until the Classical period in Greece. However, many private households would have kept a small number of animals, perhaps no more than 50 in a herd would have been the norm. These included sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, and some cattle. They were useful for their meat, milk to make cheese (it was rarely drunk), eggs, wool or leather, and to fertilise crops. Animals were reared in greater numbers where the local terrain was not suitable for agriculture. These animals, besides having access to naturally occurring areas of grazing, were fed fodder of chaff and straw, stalks of vegetable plants, fallen and damaged fruit, and the residues of grapes and olives after pressing. Horses, mules, and donkeys were also reared for transport.

Trade of Foodstuffs

Most farmers would have only produced sufficient foodstuffs for their own family's needs but they would have bartered surplus produce for everyday necessities and foodstuffs they did not produce themselves such as cheese, honey, fish, and shellfish. Some of the wealthier citizens with larger plots did certainly produce cash crops which they could sell in bulk at markets. Agricultural products traded within Greece between citizens at markets and different cities included cereals, wine, olives, figs, pulses, eels, cheese, honey, and meat (especially from sheep and goats). From the 5th century BCE, Athens' port of Piraeus became the most important trading centre in the Mediterranean and gained a reputation as the place to find any type of goods on the market.

Greek merchant ships plied the Mediterranean and exported goods to such places as Egypt, Magna Graecia, and Asia Minor. Foodstuff exports included wine, especially from Aegean islands like Mende and Kos, olives and olive oil (transported, like wine, in amphorae). By-products such as hides were exported too, especially from Euboea. Many Greek city-states continued to function as important trade centres throughout the Hellenistic and Roman periods, especially the free-trade ports of Athens, Delos, and Rhodes.

State Intervention

The involvement of the state in trade and the sale of agricultural products was relatively limited; however, a notable exception was grain, imported from Egypt and the Black Sea area, to ensure that in times of drought populations did not starve. For example, so vital was it to feed Athens' large population that trade in wheat was controlled and purchased by a special 'grain buyer' ( sitones). From c. 470 BCE the obstruction of the import of grain was prohibited, as was the re-exportation of it; for offenders the punishment was the death penalty.

Market officials ( agoranomoi) ensured the quality of goods on sale in the markets and grain had its own supervisors, the sit ophylakes, who regulated that prices and quantities were correct. Although city-states did often impose taxes on the movement of goods and levies on imports and exports at ports, there were also measures taken to protect internal trade and more heavily tax goods which were destined for, or came in from, areas outside Greece. There were also trade incentives such as on Thasos to encourage the export of their high-quality wine.

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The prosperity of the majority of Greek city-states was based on agriculture and the ability to produce the necessary surplus which allowed some citizens to pursue other trades and pastimes and to create a quantity of exported goods so that they could be exchanged for necessities the community lacked.

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The foods of ancient Greece were similar to foods we eat today but did not include many items that have become important parts of modern Greek cooking. For example, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and bananas didn't arrive in Greece until after the discovery of the Americas in the 15th century, because that's where those foods originated. Also, lemons, oranges, eggplant, and rice arrived later.

Ancient Greeks enjoyed a varied diet of vegetables, legumes, and fruit as the mainstay. But, being a coastal country with many islands, fish and seafood were an important part of the diet and animal husbandry and hunting brought meats and game to the menu. However, the consumption of fish and meat varied in accordance with the wealth and location of the household.

Typical ancient Greek meals incorporated these food items to varying degrees for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and prepared using different cooking methods to vary the appearance and taste.

Ancient Greek cuisine was characterized by its frugality, reflecting agricultural hardship. The ancient Greek diet was founded on the Mediterranean triad of wheat, olive oil, and wine and other foods reflect what was available to ancient Greeks. Several ancient Greek recipes still exist today.

Vegetables

Vegetables were eaten as soups, boiled or mashed, seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, herbs, or garon, a type of fish sauce. And, in the cities, since vegetables were more expensive, the poorer families would consume dried vegetables and oak acorns.

The main roots and tuber vegetables that were consumed included radishes, turnips, and carrots. Leafy and salad vegetables were cos lettuce (romaine), cress, arugula, and cabbage. Common bulb and stem vegetables were asparagus, cardoons (artichoke thistle), celery, fennel, garlic, and leeks.

Fruit-like vegetables that were a mainstay were cucumbers and squash (marrows). Artichokes (the flower part of the plant) and artichoke thistle (cardoons) also were popular at the time.

Popular herbs and spices that came from locally grown plants at the time included coriander (cilantro), dill, mint, oregano, saffron, and thyme. Salt and pepper were common condiments used at the time.

Grains and Cereals

Cereals formed the staple diet. The two main grains were wheat and barley. Barley was most commonly used for bread since it was easier to grow, especially in parts of Greece that had a Mediterranean climate. Barley often was roasted before milling producing a coarse flour. Wheat grains were softened by soaking, reduced into a gruel, or ground into a flour to make flatbreads or bread loaves. Spelt was commonly used as well.

Olives, which are considered a fruit, were one of the primary crops of Greece. Since the soil of Greece was generally poor, the Greeks grew grain at the bottom of the valleys and grapes and olives on the hill slopes. Olive oil was commonly used for cooking most dishes and preserved olives were a customary appetizer.

Fruits, fresh or dried, and nuts were typically eaten as dessert. Important fruits were figs, raisins (grapes), and pomegranates. In the early third century A.D., the historian Athenaeus describes a dessert made of figs and broad beans in his written historical work, Deipnosophistae. Dried figs also were eaten as an appetizer or when drinking wine.

It is believed that plums were among the first fruits ever domesticated by humans and it was a popular ancient fruit. Other orchard fruits consumed were apples, pears, and quinces. In general, other fruits that were available included carob (a pod from the carob tree), jujubes (red dates), and bergamot oranges, which were the first citrus fruit to make its way into Greek cuisine before lemon became a staple in modern times.

Legumes (Beans and Nuts)

Legumes would have been important crops, as their ability to replenish exhausted soil was known at least by the time of Xenophon in the fourth century B.C. As one of the first domesticated crops to be introduced to Greece, lentils are commonly found at archaeological sites in the region from the upper paleolithic period. Other popular legumes included chickpeas and green and yellow peas. Popular nuts included beechnuts, chestnuts, walnuts, and almonds.

Fish and Seafood

In the Greek islands and on the coast, mollusks like squid, octopus, cuttlefish, prawns, and crayfish were common. They were eaten locally but more often transported inland. Sardines and anchovies were regular fare for the citizens of Athens.

Common saltwater fish were yellowfin tuna, red mullet, rays, sea bass, grouper, wrasse, swordfish, sturgeon, and eels from Lake Copais. These were delicacies usually eaten salted. The cheapest fish, sprat, were small, herring-like fish that were readily available to the ancient Greeks.

Meat, Poultry, and Game

Ancient Greeks consumed much less meat than is usual today. In the country, hunting and trapping allowed for the consumption of pheasant, wild hares, boar, and deer. Peasants tended farmyards with chickens, geese, and their eggs. The expression, "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched," is attributed to Aesop in 570 B.C.

Slightly wealthier landowners could raise goats, pigs, lamb, sheep, and donkeys. In the city, meat was expensive except for pork. In Aristophanes' day, a piglet cost three drachmas, which was three days' wages for a public servant. Sausages were common both for the poor and the rich.

The main beverages in ancient Greece were water and wine. Beer was available at the time, as it had developed in ancient Egypt about 5000 B.C. Beer and honey mead were likely reserved for ancient festivals and holidays.

Other Foods

As the ancient Greeks domesticated farm animals, they collected milk and made cheese from it. Bees were domesticated throughout Europe by 500 A.D., but there is archeological evidence from the Minoan city on the Greek island of Crete of ancient beehives earlier than that.

Vinegar has been a popular staple in Greek cuisine. In ancient Greece, around 400 B.C., Hippocrates, who is considered the father of medicine, prescribed apple cider vinegar mixed with honey for a variety of ailments, including coughs and colds.

There is archeological evidence to suggest that escargot or land snails also were consumed in prehistoric and ancient Mediterranean cultures.

The Cuisine Evolved

Slowly, foods were introduced to Greece via trade routes and explorers. The ones that thrived in the climate and soil, became a part of what makes up modern Greek cuisine.

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List of the Various Foods Enjoyed by Ancient Greeks

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Ancient Greek foods were similar to the foods we know today, except the variety was limited. Learn about ancient Greek foods and how they evolved.

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Greek civilization began thousands of years ago, and a great deal of their culture has continued into current day, such as certain aspects of mathematics, engineering, and architecture. However, much of the Greek food we eat today is not the same as what the ancient Greeks were eating back then, mainly because the ingredients that we are familiar with were not available. What has been consistent over time, however, is the Greeks' philosophy of cooking: use local and fresh ingredients and cook them in simple and unadulterated ways.

Ancient Greek Pantry Staples

The foods of ancient Greece didn't include many that are considered standard present-day Greek ingredients, like lemons, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes, because many of these foods did not exist in Greece until after the discovery of the Americas in the 15th century. Because of the introduction of so many new fruits and vegetables to this Mediterranean country, Greek cuisine has changed quite radically over time. In ancient Greece, the basic foods were cereals, legumes, fruit, fish, game, oil, and wine. Many of these ingredients are still part of the Greek diet, along with the addition of fresh and local ingredients, olive oil, and herbs.

Cooking Methods

As several of our current cooking methods were not invented thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks cooked their food using what was available around them. The most common cooking methods were done over an open fire, such as boiling, frying, simmering, stewing, grilling, and roasting on a spit where meat like goat or lamb was tied to a stick and rotated by hand over the fire. This method is still used today (often with a motorized spit) in both Greece and other parts of the world, particularly when cooking an Easter lamb.

The earliest cooking pots were made of clay, and similar pots (glazed and fired) are still used today in many parts of the world. The Greeks would place ingredients like lamb and vegetables in a clay pot, seal it tightly, and either cook in a clay oven for several hours or bury in the ground underneath hot coals. These clay ovens are somewhat similar to the pizza ovens we are familiar with, and can still be found in villages throughout Greece.

Out of necessity (because refrigeration was nonexistent), in addition to cooking, ancient Greeks preserved foods by smoking, drying, salting, and storing in syrups and fat. Foods were often stored with a topping of oil to keep air out.

Preparing and Eating Meals

Similar to how many men today are in charge of cooking on the grill, the men of ancient Greece were typically in control when roasting the meats on spits or over coals; the women were responsible for boiling foods and baking them in the oven.

When it came time to enjoy the meal, aristocratic people sat or lounged on couches set before low tables laden with food and ate in a communal style. For the common man as well as the aristocrat, utensils were not used; everything was eaten with the hands. Bread had many purposes at the dinner table-it was used to scoop out thick soups, as a napkin to clean hands, and, when thrown on the floor, was food for the enslaved Greeks or the dogs.

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Discover What Cooking Methods Were Used in Ancient Greece

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Greek civilization began thousands of years ago, and a great deal of their culture has continued into current day, such as certain aspects of mathematics, engineering, and architecture. However, much of the Greek food we eat today is not the same as what the ancient Greeks were eating back then, mainly because the ingredients that we are familiar with were not available.

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In Ancient Greece, people ate simple meals. Bread, fruit, olives, beans, cheese, vegetables, and fish were common dishes.

Other types of meat were usually reserved for special occasions. Let's learn more about food and dining in Ancient Greece!
What was the typical Ancient Greek meal like?
For breakfast, Ancient Greeks often ate fruit with bread dipped in wine. The bread was made from barley and was probably hard, so the Greeks dipped it in wine to soften it.

Another breakfast dish was called a teganites. They look like pancakes and are made with olive oil, wheat flour, honey, and curdled milk. They're usually topped with honey or cheese.

Lunch was typically bread and wine again, this time with cheese and some olives, figs, or dried fish.

Dinner was a slightly larger meal, but still simple. People usually ate porridge made from barley. They might also have cheese, eggs, fish, olives, figs, fruit, and vegetables.

Popular vegetables were arugula, asparagus, carrots, cucumbers, and cabbage.

Other meats were eaten only by the wealthy or on special occasions like major festivals. Wealthy people ate hares, boars, and deer killed by hunters. Octopus was a favorite seafood dish.

During religious festivals, pigs and cows were often sacrificed to the gods. The meat was then cooked and given to the people to eat.

For dessert, Ancient Greeks ate cakes, cheeses, figs, or olives sweetened with honey. Raw sugar was unknown to the Ancient Greeks, so honey was used as a sweetener.
What did the Ancient Greeks drink?
The Ancient Greeks mostly drank water and wine made from the grapes they grew. They very rarely drank wine by itself. It was usually mixed with water.

Another drink was kykeon. It had the consistency of a milkshake and was a mixture of herbs, barley gruel, water or wine, and goat cheese.
Ancient Greek Dining
Men and women normally ate separately in Ancient Greece. In families that had slaves, the slaves would serve the men first, then serve the women, then eat dinner themselves.

In families that didn't have slaves, the women served the men first. Then, the women ate when the men were finished.

Men often had dinner parties called symposiums. Only other men could attend, and the dinners started at sundown and lasted late into the night.

At these dinners, the men talked about politics, philosophy, and current events.

The Greeks didn't have silverware, so they ate with their hands. Before being brought out, food was cut up in the kitchen to make it easier to eat.

Bread was often used to scoop out thick soups. Sometimes bread was even used as a napkin.
Fun Facts About Ancient Greek Food

In the winter months, the Ancient Greeks ate dried fruit and food they had stored like lentils and apples.

Most Ancient Greeks lived very close to the sea. In addition to fish, they also ate shellfish and squid.

In some larger Greek city-states, citizens could purchase meat in cook shops.

Drinking milk was considered barbaric by the Ancient Greeks. Milk was used mostly for making cheese. Drinking wine without watering it down was also considered barbaric.

Red, white, rose, and port wines were produced mostly in Lesbos, Chios, and Thasos.

Breakfast was eaten just after sunrise. Dinner was eaten near sunset. Lunch was eaten during a midday break from work.

Ancient Greece.

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Ancient Greek Food Facts For Kids | Savvy Leo

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In Ancient Greece, people ate simple meals. Bread, fruit, olives, beans, cheese & vegetables were common. Let's learn about food and dining in Ancient Greece!

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rich people ate hares, boars, and deer killed by hunters. Octopus was a popular seafood dish.

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Vegetables were eaten as soups, boiled or mashed, seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, herbs, or garon, a type of fish sauce.

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The climate really helped them grow food. They had good Mediterranean climate with tons of rainfall

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The main drink of the ancient greeks was wine

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they cooked in pots made of clay

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Due to many mythologies at that time about how drinking milk would turn you into a monster, Drinking milk was considered barbaric, instead they used it for cheese

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Since there was a lot of rainfall in greece, they were able to grow a  lot of food like wheat, figs, grapes, and olives from crops.

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for dinner, they usually ate porridge made from barley, they had cheese, eggs, fish, olives, figs, fruit, and vegetables with it. they also had sweet honeycakes. they ate at around sunset.

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On the fire, they usually fried, grilled or boiled meat, and they sometimes cooked vegetables

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most of the spartan diet were natural foods grown by slaves

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They did not drink water very often because of diseases

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they did not have silverware so they usually just ate with their hands

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For dessert, Ancient Greeks ate cakes, cheeses, figs, or olives which were made sweet with honey

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men and women ate separately

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pigs and cows were sacrificed to the gods. the people ate them afterwards.