Abstract
Many Greek and Roman sources express a preoccupation with the use of poison and its potential for murder. Consequently, some individuals were charged with the task of detecting poison in food and drink, usually on the behalf of a monarch. These individuals were known as edeatroi and praegustatores (food-tasters). Despite the frequency of references to poison the sources are largely silent on the methods employed to detect poison and on those charged with the task of detecting it. This thesis presents an attempt to shed some light on an otherwise invisible aspect of the Classical Greek, Ptolemaic Egyptian, and Imperial Roman societies. First an introductory concept of what tasters were is established by examining the etymology of the words used to denote food-taster. This is followed by an exploration of the similarities between a taster and the related post of cup-bearer. The discussion established that tasters remained near their employer, on account of this close proximity food-tasters occupied a position of unofficial power as they influenced who might access their employer. After this, the discussion focusses on examples of tasters performing tasks that are disconnected to food-tasting and poison detection. It was argued tasters created a bureaucratic class responsible for affairs of public interest. In addition, the positions a taster held during the course of their career have been catalogued. It was postulated that Roman tasters followed a set career path which resembled a cursus honorum. Finally the use of praegustatores as poison detectors was discussed. This discussion includes an examination of the different methods a praegustator used to detect poison in an early form of forensic testing. The methods considered were: detection by a taster being poisoned himself as well as discovering poison through the observation of visible symptoms, and detection of a toxin by tasting or smelling its presence in food. There is a very real chance that the best method to avoid poisoning was to prevent the poison from being administered. It was argued that tasters were employed to protect food in order to prevent interference, rather than announce poison by becoming ill themselves. The act of a taster sampling food in front of their employer was then a demonstration by which a taster showed that the food's preparation was secure.