the and the following sides dishes: black soup, modest servings of boiled pork meat, olives, cheese, figs, and additional courses such as fish, hare, and pigeon. Spartans also consumed seasonal produce, such as birds and game. Modern scholars have interpreted as a type of barley bread, gruel, or flat griddle cake. The writings of Pherecrates and Alexis confirm that Spartans likely served black soup along with . was a common food among the ancient Greeks, and the poor would consume it when they could not afford anything else. Because of its flat shape, could also be used as plates when no utensils were available. Based on Alexis and Plutarch's account, Maciej Kokoszko has inferred that both the black soup and were unsophisticated foods and were not delicacies. During the Spartan banquets, the meal would end with dessert (). Plutarch asserts that Spartans also served wine at these banquets. One of the fragmentary poetries written by the poet, Alcman depicts that Sparta once had a luxurious feasting tradition. Plutarch's Life of Cleomenes provides a contradictory account, stating that the banqueting culture in Sparta was "unsophisticated" and Spartans served neither side dishes (: ) nor baked goods. Herodotus' Histories contains a story of the Spartan general, Pausanias, ordering his servants to prepare him a Laconian (Spartan) dinner when visiting the lavish military camp of the Persian leader, Mardonius. This anecdote also suggests that the typical meals in Sparta were much less extravagant. Religious celebrations A scholia reference further implies that was made using the leftovers from cooking the sacrificial meat during the Panathenaea celebrations. While the soup was served to the poor, the wealthier individuals could receive servings of the meat. Several ancient fragmentary poetries, including Philyllius' The Island Towns and Epilycus' Coraliscus, have noted that during the Cleaver festival (), black soup was served at the temple of Apollo in Amyclae, a city located in Laconia that was at the time under Spartan control. The same sources also recorded that aside from the soup, barley cakes and wheat loaves would be served as well. Military campaigns There is no recording of the Spartans consuming black soup on military campaigns. The fifth century BC historian, Thucydides' account of the Spartan attack on Pylos in 425 BC includes a description of the Spartan army ration: ground corn, cheese, wine, and "any other food useful in a siege," which was not further specified in