At the Greek court of Alexandria, the meal is divided into two parts: the deipnon (the meal proper—breads, fish, meats, and vegetables) followed by the symposion, the drinking session where wine mixed with water, fruits, honey sweets (tragêmata), and conversation are shared. The Ptolemaic royal table blends this Hellenic tradition with the abundance of the Nile.

As a Greek queen ruling over Egypt, Arsinoë embodies this fusion: honey—the king of ancient sweeteners, linked to her divine cult and fragrance—and imported fine wines (Chios, Thasos) mark the luxury of a table that looks as much to Greece as to the Nile.