Jesica Jayd Lewis – Thesis Distinction

Jesica Jayd Lewis was awarded “distinction” for her thesis entitled, “The Warrior’s Banquet: Syssitia in Ancient Crete.” Using epigraphic and archaeological evidence to analyze literary portrayals of pre-Roman Crete, and using the Cretan common-meal institution of syssitia as a case study, Jayd’s thesis argues that civic communal dining was a fundamental institution of the ancient Greek communities on the island of Crete. It also proposes explanations for the widespread practice of communal feasting practices in both the religious and economic spheres.

Jayd completed her thesis under the direction of Professor S. Thomas Parker.

Jayd graduated with her Master of Arts in History in 2015.