The Monastic Diet in the Light of Medical Science: Theodoret of Cyrus and Physicians on Lentils

The Monastic Diet in the Light of Medical Science: Theodoret of Cyrus and Physicians on LentilsVox PatrumSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/8SJU9C4X/tei

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2024-08-15-04:00

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.MaciejKokoszkoJolantaDybałaKrzysztofJagusiakZofiaRzeźnickaThe Monastic Diet in the Light of Medical Science: Theodoret of Cyrus and Physicians on Lentilshttp://syriaca.org/cbss/8SJU9C4Xhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/8SJU9C4Xhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/8SJU9C4XVox Patrum342014297-329The present article discusses one of the most important ingredients of the Syrian ascetic diet (from the beginning of the IVth to the mid Vth century) as described by Theodoret of Cyrus in his Historia religiosa, namely lentils (fakÒj). The basis of the research is constituted by ancient and Byzantine medical treatises composed between the Ist and the VIIth centuries by Dioscurides, Galen, Oribasiusa, Aetius of Amida and Paul of Aegina. The aim of the article is to describe the role of the legume and thereby opine on compatibility or incompatibility of the monastic dietetic pattern with the one described by the medical doctors. First, the authors of the study try to show the importance of lentils as food across the area of the Mediterranean. Subsequently, they proceed to sketch its dietetic characteristics developed by ancient and Byzantine medical doctors and conclude that the evaluation was not fully appreciative of the foodstuff. Thirdly, the authors come to show applications of lentils in medical procedures, since both in Antiquity as well as in Byzantium the plant was considered to be a medicine. The discussion on lentils is concluded by introducing culinary uses of lentils, which abound in medical writings. The authors also note that all the preserved recipes envisage the cooking of the food, i.e. a procedure which was usually avoided by the Syrian ascetics. Kokoszko, Maciej, Jolanta Dybała, Krzysztof Jagusiak, and Zofia Rzeźnicka. “The Monastic Diet in the Light of Medical Science: Theodoret of Cyrus and Physicians on Lentils.” Vox Patrum 34 (2014): 297–329. Maciej Kokoszko et al., The Monastic Diet in the Light of Medical Science: Theodoret of Cyrus and Physicians on Lentils, Vox Patrum 34 (2014): 297–329.IV-VII CETheodoret of CyrusV CEasceticismfoodhagiographymedicinemonasticism