Dr Robin Nadeau
I am an ancient historian and my research interests lie in Greek and Roman cultural and religious history and, more specifically, in food-related issues. Originally from the Montreal area, I received my BA degree in History and my MA in Ancient History at the Université du Québec à Montréal. I made my doctoral studies in France at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University with Professor Pauline Schmitt Pantel (year of completion: 2008). My doctoral dissertation was about table manners in Greek literature of the Roman era. I worked with the Paris 1/Paris 7 Universities’ research group Phéacie—now ANHIMA—on cultural practices in Greek and Roman societies and, in particular, on the “Cross-cultural exchange” panel. I made also some teaching over there (2005-2007).
After a short stay in Berlin as an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow (2009-2010), I came to Exeter as a Research Fellow (2010-2012). I am working on a research project on discourses about food and prescribed eating choices and behaviours in Greek and Roman societies. I adopt a comparative approach between Antiquity and Modern/Contemporary western civilizations.
My publications focus on social behaviours related with food consumption. Here is a short list:
Les manières de table dans le monde gréco-romain, Rennes/Tours, PUR/PUFR, 2010, 494 p. ISBN 978-2-7535-1128-6
(ed.) "Penser les banquets grec et romain. Entre représentations et pratiques", in KTEMA, 35, 2010, 117 p.
“Body & Soul”, in P. Erdkamp (ed.), A Cultural History of Food in Antiquity, London/NY, Berg, 2012, p. 145-62; 207-8.
“Stratégies de survie et rituels festifs dans le monde gréco-romain”, in M. Bruegel (ed.), Profusion et Pénurie, Rennes/Tours, PUR/PUFR, 2009, p. 55-69.
“La consommation du poisson en Grèce ancienne : excès, faste et tabou”, in M. Hyman, A. Grieco, P. Scholiers (ed.), Food Excesses-Excès alimentaires, Proceedings of the Symposium Excès (et contraintes) alimentaires en Europe (Tours, February 3 2005), in Food and History, vol. 4, n. 2, 2006, p. 59-73.
