Barley bread, cheese and rare meat: Jacoba Dutoit on what Greek hoplites ate
Survive History's diet episode passed 100,000 views in three days, and its comment section keeps asking one question: where is the fish?
Survive History
Story of Why this story? The channel's weekly summary: what went up this week, what is drawing views now, and where the channel stands among similar channels.
The Ancient Greek Diet Wasn't All That Tasty
Bread and cheese won. Survive History spent the week in ancient Greece again, and of its two new uploads, the one about lunch drew the crowd.
"The Ancient Greek Diet Wasn't All That Tasty" hands the presenting to reenactor Jacoba Dutoit, who walks through what a hoplite really ate: coarse bread, olive oil, cheese and vegetables, with meat kept for special occasions, usually after a sacrifice. It passed 100,000 views in three days. The comments turned into a seminar. The most liked one connects the menu to the Odyssey, pointing out why Penelope's suitors, eating through Odysseus's herds day after day, were such a scandal. Close behind are viewers who say the video left out the fish, with mackerel and sardines named as everyday protein. Others simply announce they would happily live on lentils.
The other upload, Louee Dessent on how little most Greek citizen-soldiers trained in the phalanx, apart from the professional Spartans, had a quieter start. The older entries in this hoplite series are still finding people: the explainer on how the phalanx worked is closing in on 700,000 views, and the one on telling friend from foe with watchwords sits past 450,000.
The channel as a whole ran slower than its usual pace, and subscribers rose by about 2,000 to 406,000. Among the history and explainer channels near its size, only Geo All Day added more views over the week. Dessent, who studied ancient history at Exeter and Oxford and launched the History Hit channel, seems to have found a long Greek campaign worth staying on.
Published on Trari
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What viewers say
This is why Odysseus and his family were so miffed with the suitors, eating however many cows and goats A DAY for nigh on ten years.
@doopdoopdopdop7424See it on YouTubeMackerel and sardines were pretty common sources of protein.
@MWH12085See it on YouTubeThis is pretty tasty. I like whole bread and cheese. And lentils are good too.
@MsWatismynameSee it on YouTube
4 more comments
Did you have a nice Chianti with the fava bean? Did you have any liver?
@TheOriginalSifoDyasSee it on YouTubeAnyone else hear the opening line and expect a horrible histories sketch?
@ElspethMcGillivraySee it on YouTubeI don't like white bread, I don't like meat, I love walnuts, I love legumes, vegetables and beans. I'd love this diet.
@sandraqureshi9333See it on YouTubeGot me worried then when she launched into ‘and if you have a daughter you want to marry off…’ right after talking about animal sacrifices. Wasn’t sure I was ready for where we were going to go 😅
@jessicastevens1629See it on YouTube
Public comments from the video's page on YouTube
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The videos drawing views on Survive History right now
- Channel
- Survive History
- Subscribers
- 406,000 ▲ 2,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 2,178,238
- Videos published this week
- 2
- Video published
- October 5, 2026
- Video views so far
- 107,545
- Views on its first day
- 36,904
The numbers
Here is how Survive History's week looks in figures.
💡 Test your knowledge
In Homer's Odyssey, what is the name of Odysseus's home island, where the suitors feast on his herds?
Odysseus is king of Ithaca, and the suitors waiting for Penelope eat through his household's wealth there.
