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 treatises 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 milk 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.
The dissertation [...] is undoubtedly an important contribution to the research on the history of medicine and nutrition in the classical and the early Byzantine period. The remarks on terminology are essential, and they often influence the understanding and interpretation of other literary sources. The dissertation is of high scientific value and brings forward many relevant information: specific examples on how milk and diary were used, both in everyday nutrition, and in medical practice.
prof. Anna Kotłowska
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań