At the court of Antioch, the evening meal follows the Greek custom in two parts: first the deîpnon, where dishes are eaten — breads, roasted meats, fish, vegetables — then the sympósion, the drinking time, where wine mixed with water, dried fruits, honey and sweets are served, to the sound of conversation and music. But since the Seleucid Empire was a crossroads between the Mediterranean and the Orient, this Greek framework is enriched with spices, fruits and aromas from Persia, Babylonia and the Bactrian trade routes.

Cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, sesame, dates and honey — brought by caravans from Babylonia, Persia and the Bactrian borders — distinguish the Seleucid table from classical Greek cuisine. Antiochus III, who led his armies to the edges of India, made this Greco-Oriental fusion the hallmark of his court.