a very roman dinner party
DESCRIPTION
A textbook on the dining customs and traditions of the elite in the first and second centuries AD of the Roman EmpireTRANSCRIPT
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Contents... Introduction:
Part I: Food & Drink
Chapter 1: Food, Glorious Food
Chapter 2: A Very Roman Menu
Chapter 3: Vital Flavours
Chapter 4: The Order of Service
Chapter 5: Time for Wine
Part II: Appearance
Chapter 1: Dressed To Impress
i) Men
ii) Women
iii) Slaves
Chapter 2: Hairy Business
Chapter 3: The Gold Standard
Part III: Presentation
Chapter 1: Silver Service
Part IV: Dining Posture
Chapter 1: Dining & Reclining
Part V: Etiquette & Behaviour
Chapter 1: Table Manners
Part VI: Aroma
Chapter 1: The Pleasure of Perfume
Part VII: Entertainment
Chapter 1: Fun & Games
A Party to Remember:
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Introduction Learning about the Roman world is always intriguing.
Understanding what went on inside certain buildings, how the
army operated or even the daily life of some citizens is still
fascinating to this day. The Roman dinner party is just one of
these areas that forever interests people. The feasts of the
wealthy citizens are a particularly exciting subject to learn about
for the elite were known to splash out on very sumptuous
dinners. Every part of the evening was carefully planned from
the seating arrangements to the presentation of the food itself.
But why go through all this trouble just for one night?
For the Roman elite dinner was a very important occasion. It was
not just a chance for gastronomic excess; the evening had a dif-
ferent significance for both guest and host. For the host, it could
have been a way for him to promote his reputation within socie-
ty. An impressive meal may have propelled him to a new
political position or gained him vital support. For the guests, it
could have simply been an event for social gathering and also
an opportunity to establish important connections with
influential people in the town or city.
An invitation to the dinner, better known as the convivium
in the ancient world, of an elite citizen was always
something to look forward to for there was no aspect
that was overlooked. The more lavish the evening,
the better, and people were expected to impress and be impressed
when they attended.
Through the contents of this book, you will find out about all the
areas that were taken into account for the Roman attending a
dinner party and the person whose job it was to host. Everything
from the appearance of guests and the room to the nitty gritty
aspects of food preparation will be talked about in the following
pages.
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For a culture essentially built upon
patronage and public image the dinner
party was a vital element of society.
Distinguished and wealthy hosts
would go to enormous lengths to
surprise and delight their guests. Food,
therefore, had to be elaborate, extrava-
gant and overstated. The famous
phrase „you are what you eat‟ extend-
ed to „you are what you offer your
guests to eat‟ for the Romans.
It would probably be safe to suggest
that for the Greeks drinking was the
major party activity. However, for the
Roman‟s, food was the star of the
show, dominating a central table
which guests would then organise
themselves around.
Today the smell of Roman cuisine is
one of the prevailing souvenirs of their
civilisation: the banquet is perhaps as
much a part of its popular mythology
as any of their philosophy, laws or
monuments. Undoubtedly, it‟s
reputation is notorious. Indeed,
contrary to present day preference, the
main objective for Roman cooks
seemed to be to disguise the natural
taste of food. To a modern palate the
endless spices, herbs and liquids seem
far too intense and overbearing,
overshadowing the more subtle
elements of each dish. But what
exactly were these tastes and just why
were these concentrated flavours so
popular?
In the Roman period the ability to se-
cure exotic herbs and liquids was con-
sidered a demonstration of status; they
were used to reflect the wealth of the
dinner‟s benefactor. Ingredients such
as garam could reach
considerably high prices and
thus individuals were keen
for it to pungently pervade
their dishes in order to flaunt
their affluence and prosperity.
Food, Glorious Food... Fun Fact:
One theory about Roman society and its preference
for highly flavoured foods is that lead poisoning was
prevalent among the aristocracy, due mainly to the
use of lead lined pots used for boiling a preservative
syrup required by wine merchants.
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A Very Roman Menu
Gustatio
Bortsch:
A clear soup with beetroot and chicken- an
interesting mix of sweet and savoury.
Beef Faggots:
Ground mince meat, mixed with myrtle berries and bound
together with caul fat.
Prima Mensa :
Chicken in a Sweet and Sour Sauce:
Whole roasted chicken with a sweet and sour dip.
Parthian Chicken :
Roasted Chicken covered and basted in asafoetida and a
variety of herbs.
Ofellae :
Roasted Pork belly finished in a sweet
oenogarum
Spicy Mushy Peas :
Marrowfat peas boiled down in sweet wine and honey and
finished with fish sauce for an interesting sweet/salty taste.
Mushroom Patina:
Baked mushrooms and eggs. Similar to an
omelette.
Stuffed Mackerel :
Whole baked mackerel stuffed with
Hazelnuts, honey and mint.
Secunda Mensa :
Deep Fried Honey Fritters:
A thick set porridge, deep fried and dipped into honey,
served warm.
Pear Pattina:
A fruit based egg custard flavoured with cumin,
served warm.
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Roman Ingredient Description Modern Equivalent
Asafoetida
A gum derived from the sap of the
roots and stem of the Ferula
assafoetida plant. It has a very pun-
gent aroma (like fermented garlic)
though this dissipates with cooking.
Can still be acquired today in Indian
supermarkets or health-food shops.
Found either as liquid essence or a
fine yellow powder.
Caroenum Boiled Must (essentially very young
wine at the first stage of
fermentation)
A similar equivalent would be a
young sweet wine, boiled down and
reduced by half.
Defritum A thick, sweet syrup made from
grape juice, boiled until reduced by
half.
2L Red grape juice boiled down
with 5 dried figs
Liebstoeckl
Similar to celery. The roots of the
plant were ground into a powder. Its
dried roots are used as spice.
Lovage or fennel seeds.
Garum
Fermented salted fish, an incredibly
pungent smell and flavour. Used in
almost all Roman dishes.
A very strong Thai fish sauce.
Passim A sweet wine sauce. Made my add-
ing honey to must and boiling until
thick.
--
Puledimu Minty flavour. Ordinary garden mint can be
substituted.
Sautreia
Similar to Thyme in appearance, but
distinct flavour, quite like
marjoram.
Can still be found today, known as
„Summer Savory‟
Silphium
Used as a garlic and onion substitute.
Very pungent and only needed to be
used sparingly.
Garlic.
Vital Flavours... Of course, food and cooking are
timeless and universal and thus it is
relatively simple to recreate many
almost identical dishes to ones that
would have been found at Roman
banquets. However, there are some
ingredients that simply no longer
exist or are almost impossible to
come by in this day and age. This
does not present a great inconven-
ience as there are many modern
substitutions that can be used that
scarcely alter the original flavours
of each dish.
Here are some of the most vital
condiments for Roman cooking
with an equivalent modern
substitution provided where neces-
sary.
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Course Latin Name Typical Foods Extras
Starter Gustatio or Promulsio
Salads, Radishes, Eggs, Mushrooms, Oysters, Sardines
Followed an initial drink of wine sweetened with honey
Main Prima Mensa
Fish included eel, turbot, mackerel, mullet, eels, prawns,
oysters, and other shellfish.
Poultry dishes included: chicken, goose, ostrich, crane,
duck, partridge, pheasant, pigeon, dove, thrushes,
fig-peckers, and--for the rich--peacock. Meat included boar, venison, wild goat, mutton, lamb, kid, sucking pig, hare,
dormice, and sausage.
Offering To Gods
Libatio None
Involved a short silence while an offering of wheat, salt, and wine was made to the house-hold gods on the family altar
Dessert Secunda Mensa Every kind of honey-sweetened
cake and fruit dishes.
Two favourite desserts were stuffed dates and honeyed
bread; another was poppy-seeds mixed with honey.
After Dinner Drinking and Entertainment
Comissatio Wine Mixed With Water
During the rest of the party, music, song, dancing girls,
conjurors, dwarfs, and acrobats were sometimes provided as
entertainment
The Order Of Service... Perhaps the best modern equivalent
of a Roman banquet today would be
a Chinese meal. Indeed, in much a
similar way, dishes were served in
various communal bowls and platters
from which the guests would pick
and chose as they fancied.
There certainly seems to have been a
fairly common order in which food
was served and the types of foods
that would be provided for each
course. This table provides a
relatively accurate description of this
order.
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For the Romans, wine was also a vital element
of the dinner party. They had far many more
containers and vessels for wine and drink than
they did for food. In terms of the dinner ban-
quet the wine would have been brought into the
room within a big container known as an am-
phora, much like the one pictured on the right.
It was then scooped out with a long spoon
shaped object known as a trulla. It would then
be filtered through a sieve and mixed down
with a considerable amount of water and per-
haps a number of aromatic herbs and spices in
order to disguise any impurities.
The precise proportions of the mix would have
been determined by either the host or one of
the guests. At the beginning of the party the
guests would have elected a magister bibendi,
who- following the Greek tradition - would
have been responsible for the consumption of
alcohol by the guests. This would have been a
difficult task and would have involved intimate
knowledge of the guests in order to decipher
who could hold their drink and who could not.
It was his job to decide the correct proportion
of wine dilution in accordance to what he felt
the guests could handle. His options would
have ranged from pure wine (generally consid-
ered highly barbaric) to wine diluted with parts
water. Customarily though, the favoured mix
was two to three parts water to one part wine.
Due to his task of alcohol controller the magis-
ter was also in charge of the overall evening,
he had to decide conversations topics that were
appropriate for discussion, as well as selecting
the speakers. If he deemed the conversation
either too trivial or too heated he would have
been responsible for interrupting and proposing
a new topic.
As with bottles of wine today, wine matured
further in the amphorae. The Romans certainly
considered older wines to be better, believing
them not only to be tastier but also more bene-
ficial to the health, supposedly improving the
blood circulation, aiding digestion and helping
a good night‟s sleep. Wine would have been
distinguished by colour with the brighter and
clearer ones being the sweetest and lightest and
the darker reds and blacks the driest and heavi-
est.
Time for Wine...
Fun Fact
In summer wine was cooled
with snow; in winter water was
boiled in a kettle-like urn and
served warm.
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Dressed To Impress... In the Roman Empire appearance
could indicate a great deal of
information. Whilst the poor could
rarely afford to alter the way they
looked, the elite citizens of Rome
spent much money to appear in
the correct manner for various
events. Clothing was an important
feature and differed greatly not
just between genders but certain
garments were provincially and
seasonally influenced. Dress also
reflected public and private life,
ceremonial, religious and funerary
occasions. In the Roman Empire
the need to show off ones wealth
was a high concern and
appearance could communicate
this to a great degree. For the
males who attended a dinner
party, it was often the case that
their attire would consist of two
garments; the tunic and toga.
The tunic was the most basic item
of male clothing and was worn by
all members of society, from
slaves to the Emperor himself. It
varied in length, colour and thick-
ness. For instance, thick tunics
could be worn in the winter for
protection against the cold.
However, when worn under the
toga for dining occasions it often
had short sleeves and was usually
quite thin. In addition, the tunic
would be belted and thus fall to
around knee length.
The toga would then be draped on
top of the tunic. During the
Roman period, the toga was
considered the national costume
and could only be worn by Roman
citizens. It was a particularly long
garment requiring around six
metres of cloth. Its large size
meant that it needed the help of a
slave or attendant in order to be
put on correctly.
These two particular garments,
although the toga could
sometimes be removed during the
evening to increase comfort, were
very symbolic and emphasized the
wealth of the wearer. For
example, cloth was expensive in
the Roman world and producing
enough material for both sets of
clothes would have been a big
undertaking. Furthermore, both
tunic and toga would have
contained colour which was yet
another symbol of the wealth and
status of the wearer.
Did you know?Did you know?Did you know?
At less important and At less important and At less important and
formal dinner parties formal dinner parties formal dinner parties
mantles were more mantles were more mantles were more
often worn over the often worn over the often worn over the
tunic instead of the tunic instead of the tunic instead of the
toga. The mantle did toga. The mantle did toga. The mantle did
not consist of as much not consist of as much not consist of as much
material as the toga and material as the toga and material as the toga and
therefore wearers of the therefore wearers of the therefore wearers of the
garment could be less garment could be less garment could be less
concerned with concerned with concerned with
correcting the folds correcting the folds correcting the folds
created by the material. created by the material. created by the material.
It was a much more It was a much more It was a much more
comfortable and comfortable and comfortable and
practical piece of practical piece of practical piece of
clothing to dine in, so clothing to dine in, so clothing to dine in, so
much so that the much so that the much so that the
author, Tertullian, author, Tertullian, author, Tertullian,
wrote a book in which wrote a book in which wrote a book in which
he praised the mantle he praised the mantle he praised the mantle
for its design.for its design.for its design.
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The Romans were lovers of
bright colours however;
colours that were too bright
were often thought of as being
“unRoman”. Purple was the
most popular colour during
the Roman period and repre-
sented wealth and decadence
for it was very hard to manu-
facture. As a result, it was
common for this colour to
feature on much of the
clothing of the elite citizens.
The tunics and togas worn at
dinner parties would have
more than likely contained
stripes of purple increasing in
thickness depending on the
social rank of the wearer.
The appearance of men did
not stop at clothing. Hair was
another important factor to
consider and generally men
looked toward the Emperor
for the latest fashion.
However, this was a more
relaxed subject for the male
population who had to
overcome problems such as
receding hairlines. It was
frowned upon for a man to be
seen wearing a wig far more
so than a woman. In addition,
some Emperors had curls in
their hair and although oil was
used for styling, this too
would have been hard to
perfect for many men for
whom curls would not have
come naturally.
Furthermore, although
appearance was a medium
through which prosperity
could be displayed, an aspect
such as jewellery, which today
serves to display the wealth of
many, was not as vital a fac-
tor. Men who wore too much
jewellery were considered
effeminate and again it was
“unRoman” to be seen with an
array of bracelets and
earrings, although in
some provinces men
were often seen with
such additions. However,
it was acceptable for some
men to wear signet rings as a
sign of their status within so-
ciety.
Fun Fact
Purple dye came from a number of
places but the most expensive purple
was produced by shellfish from Tyre.
10,000 shellfish were required for only
1g of the dye. It was extremely popular
and very famous for its rich purple
colour. However, it was just as well
known for its smell, so much so that
often some members of the population
wore purple clothes to mask their own
body odour!
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For women, clothing worn to dine
was just as important as it was for
males. In many regards the garments
they donned followed the same basic
styles as men‟s clothing, only differ-
ing in terms of size or length. Dining
clothing for women consisted main-
ly of a tunic and mantle which
could have been of material of the
same colour. However, for more
formal dining the stola was fa-
voured over the mantle.
Women...
From the late republic onwards the stola
was viewed as the status symbol of
women‟s attire, just as the toga was for
male clothing. Worn over the simpler
tunic, the stola would have draped across
the entire body, covering even the feet.
Perhaps the most distinguishable feature
of the stola was its V-Shaped neckline,
created by draping narrow ribbons of
cloth over the shoulders and allowing the
material in-between to hang down
loosely. Unlike its Greek archetype, the
stola was always worn over a tunic with
elbow-length sleeves and was belted
under the breast with a plain cord.
In terms of tunics, in the first and second
centuries the Gap-Sleeved tunic was the
design of choice. Originally a Greek
form of tunic, this style was made from
two wide rectangles of cloth sewn
together on each side of the body.
However, unlike its male equivalent, the
shoulders on the female type seem to
have remained unsown and instead were
simply „fastened‟ at regular intervals
down the arm.
Between these fastenings the
clothing would gape, creating its
characteristic „gap-sleeve‟
appearance.
To create these fastenings the two
edges of the cloth would have been
gathered together and then sewn
around to fix it in place. The
consequential „tuft‟ would then
either be left as it was, or flattened
down according to preference. The
sagging folds caused by this kind of
fastening would have helped to
form the fashionable „gaps‟ in the
sleeve.
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It would be expected that slaves would have had a very poor
appearance not just at dinner but in the Roman world as a whole.
However, this is not the case. Slaves were the property of the rich
and their attire would have very much reflected the wealth of their
master and host of the party. As a result, they would have probably
been fitted with good quality clothes. However, unlike the
intricacies of the clothes of the guests, the slaves would have
most likely worn a simple tunic. This would have been far easier to
work in and carry out the duties required of them during dinner
parties.
Fun Fact
Guests who ate with their fingers would often need somewhere
to wipe their hands. A dirty appearance was not appreciated
by the Romans and although some wiped their fingers on the
table cloth or napkins, others were not quite as polite. Some
cleaned their fingers on the hair of male or female slaves who
grew it long for just this reason.
Slaves...
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The Gold
Standard...
Jewellery was also a vital element of the staging, the most
popular items being necklaces, earrings, finger-rings and
bracelets. Due to the accessibility of a wide range of
natural resources that could be found across the vast
expanse of the Roman Empire a largely diverse selection
of materials were used in their jewellery, just some of
these included: gold, silver, copper, iron, glass, bone,
amber. Moreover, due to their extensive trade networks
with Persia, India and the Far East many precious and
semi-precious gemstones were also a popular option for
more exotic trinkets.
Gold was certainly the material of choice of the upper
classes due to its warming colour. In general, colour was
considered the decisive and most important factor of
choosing jewellery, rather than ostentatious glitter or
sparkle. As a result, pearls rather than diamonds were the
preferable items, reaching far higher prices than any other
type.
In terms of design much Roman jewellery was fashioned
by Greek artisans, in a Greek style. An example of
derivative Roman design was the Herakles knot, also
known as the "knot of Hercules," or "marriage-knot,"
which was influenced by the ancient Egyptians and
Greeks. Also popular was the Roman motif depicting a
coiling snake which symbolized immortality. The snake
was typically fashioned into gold bracelets, as can be
seen on the image on the right.
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Hairy Business... It seems that as soon as young girls had hair
long enough to pin up, they did so. Elaborate
and complex hairstyles were very much the pre-
vailing fashion throughout the Roman period.
Styles changed radically over the ages but when
a certain style did fall into fashion it often re-
mained so for as much as 20-30 years. In the
imperial period in particular, women wishing to
be fashionable and „in vogue‟ would look to the
official imperial statues and coin portraits in or-
der to decipher the latest trends. Livia, the wife
of Augustus, was especially influential in this
area and was undoubtedly the most important
trend-setter of her age. Today, these coins and
statues remain the most useful tool in
establishing the key movements throughout the
eras, enabling us to view the styles up close and
from a variety of angles.
We can see that some of the prevailing styles of
the imperial period were so intricate that often
they would require extra false hair or pads to
keep it in place; some literary sources also
document the use of wigs. Particularly popular
styles included waved bands of hair around the
face, low buns of plaits, often bounded with
another plait, many small intricate plaits, and
intense ringlets upon the top of the head. Below
are some examples of how some hair would
have been styled for dinner.
Certainly styling your hair for the meal would
have been just as important part of the „show‟
as any of the jewellery or clothing. Also, due to
the immense complexity of the hairstyles, a
servant was generally required to help create it
and thus they would have been largely reserved
for the rich and leisured classes, poor women
would have had to make do with much simpler
designs. Hair was just another element that Ro-
man women would have utilised to demonstrate
class, status and wealth.
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Silver Service... The presentation of dinner had a
very significant impact. The manner
in which the room was decorated,
how the food was delivered and by
whom it was delivered aimed to
show off the affluence of the host
and add to the opulent atmosphere.
The more lavish everything
appeared, the wealthier the host
looked and this was one of the main
purposes of hosting a dinner party.
The walls of the dining room,
known as the triclinium, were a
crucial element in decoration. These
could be decorated with a number
of designs but ideally the owner of
the house would probably have
selected images of great interest
that promoted intellectual
discussions at dinner occasions.
Furthermore, walls could just as
easily be painted with an image of
an elaborate architectural vista.
This aimed to transport the mind of
the diner so that they felt they were
dining in the upmost extravagance.
Floor mosaics also contributed a
good deal to the room environment.
Did you know?
Publius Fannius Synistor, the owner of a house at Boscoreale
near Pompeii, painted an image of a palace on the wall of his
triclinium. It contained columns and was ornately decorated to
give the impression that diners were reclining in a splendid
colonnaded pavilion.
Furniture was another means
through which the host could
display his wealth. It was
tradition for three couches to
be positioned in a „U‟ shape
in the room. This is what
gave the triclinium its name.
„Tri‟ related to the number of
couches in the room. Howev-
er, there did not necessarily
have to be three for in Pom-
peii there exists an outside
dining area consisting of only
two couches, it has been
referred to as a biclinium.
These couches could be
made of all sorts of materials
but the rich would have had
very expensive couches
draped in cloths of perhaps
even greater value.
20
Presentation did not end with the
furniture for food was displayed with
the greatest care. Cookery in the Roman
period was not just about the production
of food but an art form. The cook
modeled his creations with the
refinement of a sculptor and his
imaginative dishes would aim to
impress the guests. The host would ap-
pear in a very good light if he had a
chef who was extremely impressive
with his skill in the kitchen.
Slaves also performed an integral part
of the presentation of the meal for they
were responsible for many tasks. Their
duties consisted of serving and
cleaning, though not during mealtimes
for this was seen as quite rude.
Moreover, if they were educated, they
could recite poems, sing, dance and act.
The slave was a key asset of the host
and anything they did would have a
bearing on the reputation of their
master. For a young slave, the dinner
also provided an opportunity to impress
their owner and his drunken friends.
This could lead to the prospect of
freedom in the long run.
Fun Fact
Although the Romans traditionally ate food with
their fingers, spoons and knives would be available
to use. As simple as the fork is, it was not in
existence in the time of the Roman Empire!
22
Dining & Reclining... Unlike today where many modern
families sit upright on chairs at the
dinner table, in Rome the protocol was
slightly different. The customs for
dining were not as simple and straight
forward in the Empire and much was
dependent upon gender, age, status and
social rank.
For the males who attended it was
normal for them to recline whilst
dining, leaning on the left elbow.
However, the practice for women, who
were generally not as numerous to the
dinner as men, was more complicated.
Certainly in the early stages of the Ro-
man republic women did not recline
but instead sat at the convivium. It was
believed that this posture would place
them under the scrutiny and control of
the male. It was also deemed shameful
for a woman to be seen in the reclining
position as it was thought this would
compromise their respectability.
Nevertheless, as the Roman Empire
developed, traditions that once existed
began to fade away and it became more
common to see females lying down at
dinner parties.
23
This was not the end of the matter however, for the
position in which one was situated was another
important aspect of the Roman dinner party. The
theme of status did not just exist in the appearance
of the guests and hosts for it also formed the basis
on the seating arrangements.
Each of the three couches, known as the lecti, that
diners reclined on had its own hierarchical value
and every position on the individual lectus also had
a special significance. The middle couch, lectus
medius was reserved for the guests of honor, the
people of highest importance for whom the dinner
was being held. Those on this centre couch could
participate in conversations much more so than
diners on other lecti. However, during a long
evening of dining, guests could easily switch
positions.
On the other couches, guests of lesser importance
would have reclined. The host would have
occupied a position closest to the guest of honour
and the hostess would have most likely rested next
to him. Invited guests and other relations took up
all remaining spaces
What about children? Were young boys and girls
allowed to dine with adults? Well, in the Roman
Empire children were not permitted to dinner until
the age of sixteen. They were considered inferior
individuals not yet complete in their physical and
social formation and could not be integrated fully
into the dining company as a result. If, however,
they were present they were not permitted to
recline and instead sat on chairs behind their father
or master. Sitting was a sign of inferior status and
it was not only children that experienced this
reduction in social rank.
Often, the host would have permitted his guests to
bring along friends or relations of their own who
were known as umbrae or shadows. Although the
host was expected to provide substantial food to
satisfy all the guests, it was not necessary to
provide seats for all who had come. Ideally three
guests were sufficient per couch but if there were
more than the recommended nine attendants,
these newcomers would be forced to sit beside
their friends on the lecti. More often than not,
these additions to the meal would have been
of lower status and so their demotion to
the seated posture would have marked
their social rank to other members at the
dinner.
Fun Fact
There were some people in the Roman Empire
who were invited to so many dinner parties that
they could get by on very little money. These
people were notorious in the world of dining
and were known as ‘parasites’. They were very
entertaining and amusing characters.
25
Table Manners... Just like nowadays, there were certain rules and regulations that
would be followed by guests at dinner. The Romans were quite
particular in their ways and while some of their manners seem rela-
tively normal, others were a bit strange and unexpected by our
modern standards.
Conversation was an important factor for all those present. In the
Roman Empire, oratory skills were highly regarded and success
was often determined by the ability to use speech effectively. At
the convivium, there were preferred topics of discussion and
anyone could voice their ideas. However, it was required that
while one speaker was setting out his argument, the others
remained silent. Once finished, everyone was
free to support or dispute what was previously
said and speakers were applauded
by the companions at the dinner.
Conversation was not the only concern for the Romans for there were even rules regarding how fast
you should eat. People who ate too speedily from the communal dishes were said to irritate those
who were a little slower. This would sometimes lead to squabbles and leave an unpleasant tone for
the rest of the evening. The hungry guest had to be wary of the speed at which he satisfied his
appetite.
Fun Fact
Plutarch made a list of some of the kinds of
subjects that were in discussion in Rome that
could perhaps be integrated into the dining
environment.
Why is A the first letter of the alphabet?
What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Why does drink satisfy hunger, while
food makes one thirsty?
Why are people hungrier in the autumn?
As well as worrying about speed, quantity was
another problematic area. If a guest had brought
along a companion he would need to make sure
that his friend had enough food and drink too.
Therefore, the guests could not merrily drink
and eat their way through the evening but in-
stead had to take notice of the appetite of those
they had brought along.
26
Diners were also expected
to appear washed and
clean for the meal so they
did not spoil the appetite
of others. A napkin and
the ability to use it
appropriately was another
essential. Smearing your
face with a food stained
hand was no way to
impress the other diners.
Moreover, it was custom
for food to be taken with
the right hand and toss
unwanted bits onto the
floor. It would then be
cleared away at the end of
the meal for it was rude to
wipe away any mess while
people were still dining.
However, as much as the
dinner was a display of the
abundant wealth of the
host, it was disrespectful
to be seen wasting food.
The perils of drinking also
troubled diners. In Rome,
it was quite shocking to be
seen vomiting from the
consumption of too much
alcohol and people were
accused of having little
restraint if they did so.
However, for those who
regularly attended dinner
parties, it was not
uncommon for a feather to
be put down the throat in
order to vomit and clear
the stomach in order for
the next sumptuous meal.
Manners were not just
required by the guest for
the host had duties too. It
was customary to spoil the
diners with not just food
and entertainment but also
with gifts. These were
known as apophoreta and
usually consisted of food.
The attendants now had
something to take home
with them.
Fun Fact
The Romans did not like doing things in a normal fashion
when it came to dinner and even the manner in which gifts
were distributed was a show in its own right. A vessel was
filled with pieces of paper with riddles and verses on them.
Each diner picked one out and read it aloud. The slave
would then bring out the relevant gift from the clues
written on the paper. The excitement never ended!
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The Pleasure of Perfume... Exotic aromas were amongst the most
elegant and honourable enjoyments in
life and so it was common to encounter a
wide variety in the meal environment.
The rich could offer the olfactory niceties
which the poor could not and at the
dinner party they were used for all
manner of purposes by both men and
women.
To begin with, the room where dinner
would be held was scented with the
upmost care. Walls were daubed with
perfume unguent and mosaic floors
sprinkled with fragrant water. Perfume
was so widely used in the Roman home
that even some pets were anointed with
the smell of their master.
However, this was not all and aromas for
dining came in a much wider form. Fresh
flowers and leaves were all used to add to
the fragrant environment. Tables could
be made ready by being rubbed with mint
leaves and cushions might be filled with
dried herbs. Scented water would be
offered to the guests in between courses
so that they could cleanse their hands of
the sticky food that they had eaten.
Food also added to the aromatic
atmosphere with many courses having an
extremely distinctive smell. As a result,
incense was customarily burnt at the end
of meals to clear away the scent of food
and leave the air smelling pleasant. It was
also burnt as an offering to the household
Gods present. Furthermore, sometimes
there were perfumed oils next to the
diners so that they could readily apply it
to their own brow. It was not
unreasonable for diners to put scents into
their drinks too. Myrrh was a popular
ingredient added to wine but it left a
bitter and spicy aftertaste.
Costly perfumes played a very important
role at dinner and there was so much
emphasis on scents that food sometimes
seemed measly in comparison. It was
even said that a feast was not proper until
accompanied by scent.
Did you know?
The scent of cloves
was believed to aid
digestion.
30
Fun & Games...
No Roman dinner was complete without its share of entertainment
and both slaves and guests could provide many varieties of
amusement. Music was very popular and the sounds of a lyre and
flute to accompany the dinner were often very well received.
Sometimes slaves known as symphoniaci pueri were ordered to
hum in the background while diners ate.
Often, after dinner was also a time for literary
recitations and the guests could show off their knowledge of
the famous authors of the time by standing to read aloud their
favorite passage.
For those who really wished to impress their guests, acrobats
and jugglers were sometimes hired out to perform greatly elab-
orate shows often involving knives and fire! Dwarves were al-
so highly popular attractions.
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The Roman dining experience was a feat of great prepa-
ration and planning, as the previous pages have demon-
strated the drama and spectacle of the event was just as
vital as the food and cuisine and without it no meal would
have been complete.
The setting, clothing, entertainment and even the smell
all added up to make these occasions that every guest
would remember and cherish. Hopefully we have been
able to include all you could ever wish to know about
such events, and maybe even inspire you to recreate your
very own Roman dinner party!
A Party to Remember...