How to Set an Ancient Greek Table

Often thought of as great artists, the Greeks did not shirk away from their artistic tradition when it came to table setting.

Founders of philosophy, written history, and mathematics, the ancient Greeks were far ahead of their time in many diverse ways. Among those many ways, table etiquette was practiced by the Golden Society. Though the ancient Greeks did practice setting the table before a meal, it was not nearly as complex as the Western tradition has made it over the years. However, a Greek table setting remains unique and intricate among place settings worldwide.

Instructions

1. Cover the table with a thick sheet. The Greeks were among the first to use tablecloths because of how easy it made clean up. The sheet should cover the entire table that you are using. Greek tables sometimes were near ground level so that those eating may sit on pillows on the floor, but the Greeks also used a table more akin to the traditional American dining room table, so that will work as well.

2. Place a sheet of cloth at each place setting of the table. The sheet is used as the plate in a way, so it should be something like a cloth napkin. The ancient Greeks rarely used their pottery for everyday eating, as the pottery of the day was often more than just eating hardware, but how they kept their history. Everyday eating habits were much more casual.

3. Place the main dish in the middle of the table on a large, preferably round platter. Usually the only dish on the table, the platter must be large enough to hold most, if not all, of the food in the meal. If the meal was particularly large, the Greeks might use two large platters or one large platter and several smaller ones around it.

4. Place a small bowl of water near or on the table. Some of the richer families in ancient Greece might have had individual bowls for everyone. These bowls are used for cleaning one's hands after or during the meal. This is because all of the eating is done without utensils. Those at the table would simply use their hands.

References

• Hellas: Life in Ancient Greece
• Rich East: Furniture of Ancient Greece
• Kitchen Project: The History of Wood Dining Room Tables