Claire Bubb, Assistant Professor of Classical Literature and Science and author of 'How to Eat,' shares fascinating insights into ancient Greek and Roman health practices. She discusses how these civilizations shaped dietary norms and exercise regimens to enhance well-being. Listeners learn about quirky topics like the historical reputation of basil and the economic factors influencing diet. Bubb draws parallels between ancient wisdom and modern health trends, revealing timeless strategies to achieve balance in life and nutrition.
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insights INSIGHT
Diverse Ancient Dietary Views
Ancient Greeks and Romans had diverse, often contradictory ideas about diet over 700 years and across regions.
Food opinions varied due to changing theories, available ingredients, and geographical differences.
insights INSIGHT
Food Becomes Body in Antiquity
Ancient nutrition focused on food transforming into blood and then body parts.
They judged health effects by food qualities like nourishing or drying, paralleling modern nutrient concepts.
insights INSIGHT
Ancient Food Theories
Ancient theories on food were intuitive but based on unscientific elements like earth, air, fire, water.
Without microscopes, they explained observations through elemental qualities, mixing insight and misconception.
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The Hippocratic Corpus is a comprehensive collection of medical texts that include clinical descriptions of diseases, surgical procedures, medical ethics, and philosophical reflections. Although traditionally attributed to Hippocrates, many of the works were likely written by his students and followers over several decades.
On Exercise with a Small Ball
On Exercise with a Small Ball
Galen
How to Eat
The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food
Nigella Lawson
In 'How to Eat,' Nigella Lawson presents a unique approach to cooking, emphasizing the importance of enjoying and understanding food rather than just following recipes. The book is written from the perspective of an eater rather than a professional chef, making it relatable and accessible. It covers various aspects of cooking, including basics, dinner recipes, Sunday lunches, and feeding children, all presented in Nigella's engaging and descriptive writing style. The book lacks photographs but is rich in culinary advice and practical recipes that can be adapted to real-life cooking scenarios[1][3][5].
Galen
Galen
The science of health and wellbeing is a hot topic of modern life, and it was no different for the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome. From what you should eat, to how you should exercise, and when you should (and shouldn't) have sex, these cultures developed their own highly specific set of rules to live by to maximise health and happiness. In this episode, Claire Bubb examines the logic behind these health tips alongside James Osborne, and reveals what insights they give us into the Greco-Roman mindset.
(Ad) Claire Bubb is the author of How to Eat: An Ancient Guide for Healthy Living (Princeton University Press, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Eat-Ancient-Healthy-Readers-ebook/dp/B0DNGXR1VQ/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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