In Tralles, among Greek notables like the household of Pythodoros, the evening meal (deipnon) precedes the drinking party (symposion). First, one eats reclining on the *klinē*: barley cakes, fish, vegetables, and cheeses served on silver dishes. Then comes the symposion, a time for wine mixed with water, honey sweets, and conversation. Sweet and savory are not separated into rigid courses; they punctuate the rhythm of the meal and the evening.

Fermented fish brine, the king condiment of the Greco-Roman world. A few drops enhance everything from fresh fish to vegetables: it is ancient umami, the discreet luxury of an elite table in Asia Minor.