'He made money by selling his country; he went around spending it on prostitutes and fish.' So Demosthenes vilified a political opponent, as publicly corrupt and privately depraved. James Davidson's concern is with those ancient appetites: food, drink and sex in classical Athens. At one level, he provides a guided tour from bordello to Billingsgate; at another, an essay on the politics of consumption.

LRB 18 September 1997 | PDF Download