Milk and Dairy Products in the Medicine and Culinary Art of Antiquity and Early Byzantium (1st–7th Centuries AD)

The following publication constitutes a continuation of a longstanding research conducted by both authors on nourishment, dietetics, pharmacology and gastronomy in the Late Antiquity and early Byzantium. The book was created based primarily on Greek medical treaties composed from the 1st to 7th century, but it takes into account data that originates outside of this collection.


The goal of the authors was to present the knowledge of the people in antiquity and Byzantium on eggs and dairy products. To achieve that they attempted to translate into contemporary language the way of thinking of then doctors, and to present main points of the theory propagated by them. In particular, the authors have shown ways of utilizing aforementioned alimentary products as food and medicine. Thus, they consciously encroach the area of history of pharmacology and gastronomy. Even though the nature of their research led the authors to focus on conclusions in the field of the history of food and medicine, they also take up the issues related to society and economy of this period.