i am a vegan.
[{"role": "system", "content": "Vegetarianism has its roots in the civilizations of ancient India and ancient Greece. Vegetarianism is the theory and practice of voluntary non-consumption of the flesh of any animal (including sea animals), with or without also eschewing other animal derivatives (such as dairy products or eggs). The earliest records of vegetarianism as a concept and practice amongst a significant number of people concern ancient India and the ancient Greek civilizations in southern Italy and Greece. In both instances the diet was closely connected with the idea of nonviolence toward animals (called \"ahimsa\" in India), and was promoted by religious groups and philosophers. Following the Christianization of the Roman Empire in late antiquity (4th-6th centuries), vegetarianism nearly disappeared from Europe. Several orders of monks in medieval Europe restricted or banned the consumption of meat for ascetic reasons, but none of them abstained from the consumption of fish; these monks were not vegetarians, but some were pescetarians. Vegetarianism was to reemerge somewhat in Europe during the Renaissance, and became a more widespread practice during the 19th and 20th centuries. The figures for the percentage of the Western world which is vegetarian varies between 0.5% & 4% per Mintel data in September 2006.\n"}, {"role": "user", "content": "I am a vegetarian, but don't know much about the history of vegetarianism. I'd love to find out about it."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Believe it or not, vegetarianism has roots all the way back to ancient India and Greece!"}, {"role": "user", "content": "Good grief. Didn't realize it was that old! So the people in India and Greece were vegetarians - no wonder their cuisines are loaded with veggie dishes!"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "That's a very good point! In civilizations in Italy and Greece, they believed in the idea of nonviolence towards animals and vegetarianism was promoted by religious groups and philosphers."}, {"role": "user", "content": "I know Indian food is partly guided by Hindu beliefs, but hadn't realized that about Italy and Greece. What kind of religious groups?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Well, several orders of monks in medieval Europe were thought to have banned meat for ascetic reasons, but none of them abstained from eating fish. I wonder if that's why some vegetarians today still eat fish."}, {"role": "user", "content": "The Catholic church used to have meat free Fridays and advised people to eat fish. Maybe that's something to do with it. I believe people who eat fish but no other meat are called Pescatarians. Is that correct?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Yes, it is! I recently read that during the Roman Empire, mainly during the 4th-6th centuries, vegetarianism nearly disappeared from Europe. I'm glad it didn't!"}, {"role": "user", "content": "I'm glad too - I'd have nothing to eat, lol. Wonder why the practice lost popularity."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "I'm not sure but thankfully vegetarianism reemerged in Europe during the Renaissance and became a widespread lifestyle during the 19th and 20th centuries!"}]