8. The golden age of Greece saw changes in diet due to population growth
What is the late twentieth century became known as the Mediterranean diet had its beginnings in Greece during the early fifth century BCE. Pressure from population growth made the available lands for agriculture necessary for greater production of crops for human consumption. Pasturage for cattle and sheep slowly yielded to the growth of grains, fruits, and vegetables. More of the animal protein which fed the people of the city-states began to be taken from the sea. During the preceding Homeric age, the slaughter of cattle was a common feature of Greek literature. By the fifth century, it was all but absent.
In the first part of his Republic, Plato addressed the relationship between the population and the state. He postulated that if and when the state met the needs of society as a whole, the people “will live pleasantly together and a prudent fear of poverty or war will keep them from begetting children beyond their means”. He then argued that most men would shift their attention to acquiring luxuries, which would require a portion of the population to shift from the production of necessities. But the need for necessities would not be decreased. Plato argued that the result would be unsupportable population growth, which would require more land to support it, which could only be acquired through war.