The first Caesarea, built in 22 10 b.c. , is said to have been Herod's attempt to rival the pomp and splendour of the ports of Alexandria and Athens.
Alexandria and Athens were known for their splendor and pomp.
You would think that cultivating a taste for such ascetic modes of enjoyment would be at least as effective a diet strategy as glorifying blubber, but Klein fails to entertain this possibility.