Food, like everything else, has a history. This history offers a valuable lens through which to see how people in the past demonstrated their taste, status, religious devotion, and power. Food was a crucial factor in decisions that changed the course of history, and, in turn, food practices changed dramatically over the course of time. This talk will survey the history of food in pre-modern Europe (from ancient Rome to around 1750).

Samantha Herrick is Associate Professor of History. Her research focuses on medieval Europe, particularly saints’ lives inaccurately linking European churches to the immediate associates of Jesus. She traces the ways in which communities used and shared these legends. Her courses include the history of food, the Crusades, and the legend of Mary Magdalen. She has held fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Study, SU’s Humanities Center, and the Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sponsored by Moynihan Institute Of Global Affairs and Center for European Studies

For information on accessibility, or to request accommodation, please contact Marc Albert 315-443-9248.