Plato´s political cuisine. Commensality, food and politics in the Platonic thought

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of the sociological and political background of food, cuisine and commensality in Plato´s philosophy. It argues that the importance of these elements in Plato´s political thought is related to the increasingly complex gastronomic developments in fourth century Greek world. In the first place, it will analyse the general trends concerning Platonic perceptions on fourth century´s food habits and cookery. In the second place, it will study the role food and eating habits have in the Platonic utopias of the Republic, Critias and Laws. These two compared analyses will demonstrate how the utopian diets and eating habits are key elements in the construction and stabilisation of these imaginary communities.