Athenaeus

Athenaeus of Naucratis was a Greek rhetorician, grammarian, and sophist who lived during the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries CE. He is primarily known for his voluminous work, the Deipnosophistae (Δειπνοσοφισταί), which translates roughly to "The Philosophers' Banquet" or "The Learned Banqueters."

The Deipnosophistae is a sprawling, discursive work presented as a series of banquets held at the home of a wealthy Roman, Larensius. During these banquets, a group of learned guests, including doctors, grammarians, lawyers, and philosophers, engage in lengthy discussions covering a vast range of topics. These discussions cover almost every aspect of ancient Greek life, including literature, history, philosophy, food, music, dance, and more.

The Deipnosophistae is not a systematic treatise but rather a collection of anecdotes, quotations, and descriptions drawn from numerous lost or obscure sources. Consequently, it serves as an invaluable resource for understanding classical Greek culture, preserving fragments and information that would otherwise be unavailable. While the accuracy of some details cited by Athenaeus has been questioned by modern scholars, the work remains a crucial source for classical scholars.

The surviving text of the Deipnosophistae is incomplete. It is preserved in an epitome and a fuller version, although even the fuller version is missing substantial portions. Despite its fragmented state, the Deipnosophistae continues to be studied and translated, offering insights into the intellectual and social world of the Roman Empire during the time of its author.