Antagoras of Rhodes (, born on Rhodes about 270 B.C.)William Smith (ed) (1870) Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology from within was a Greek poet. He was also noted for his cookery.
Biographical information Antagoras wrote a Theban epic whilst in Pella,I. E. S. Edwards - (The Cambridge ancient history Volume 7, Part 1) from within books.google.co.uk website Retrieved 2011-09-14. and (extant) epigrams. Also was one of two attendant in the court of Antigonus II Gonatas, ruler of Macedonia Pausanias Description of Greece [with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A. Cambridge, MA, (1918)] .perseus.tufts.edu Retrieved 2011-09-14 Is recorded as having had some personal contact in his own time, with Philocydes (possibly envoy to Pharnabazus, son of ArtabazusJames Ussher (2007)books.google.co.uk [Retrieved 2011-12-04] ) and was known to Hegesander.Athenaeus: The Deipnosophists - BOOK 8 (excerpts) [25.] Translated by C.D.Yonge (1854) in attalus.org [Retrieved 2001-12-04] see also: Deipnosophistae and deipnosophist Famed for his repartee Antagoras was described by contemporaries as;
Conger eels account Whilst on campaign in the Balkans, King Antigonos Gonatas—who had journeyed with Antagoras—found Antagoras inside camp to be cooking conger eels. When asked as to the likelihood of Homer being able to produce the Iliad should he have decided instead to use his time in cookery, Antagoras replied that he thought it unlikely that Agammemnon would have involved himself in any exploits at all if he had chosen to wander around his camp looking for men cooking conger eels.
In one account of the story Plutarch first writes of the value of seafood above the common staple (lentils) and, showing the relative costs of foods against each other, uses the examples of the persons PhiloxenusCharles Anthon [William Smith (ed.)] (1843) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Anquities within books.google.co.uk website [Retrieved 2011-09-15] the son of Eryxis, Androcydes the painter and Antagoras as examples for the preference of fish (a delicious food):Plutarch .gutenberg.org website SYMPOSIACS-BOOK III :QUESTION IV. WHETHER THE SEA OR LAND AFFORDS BETTER FOOD Retrieved 2011-09-14
See also Thebaid (a region of ancient Egypt) Thebais (a poem ) by Publius Papinius Statius Θηβαΐς (Thebaid)
References
External links Luard, E (2008) amazon.com open book showing traditional ways of cookery for the European peoples
Edward Phillips (1675) page 20 of Theatrum poetarum: or A compleat collection of the poets, especially the most eminent, of all ages. The antients distinguish't from the moderns in their several alphabets (Google eBook)