Roman Banquets

convivia

By Spanish e-twinning team - “Ancient Rome in your modern town”

Roman dinners, “cenae”, the main meal of a day, were not only a chance to show how luxurious are your life but also a moment to share, with family and friends, the pleasure of a good meal.

In big banquets, convivia, there could be musicians, singers and dancers, poets and so on to enjoy the after-dinner.

Every guest comes with their personal slave to be assisted. He brings a napkin, not only to avoid stains but to pick up the leftovers and the presents given at the end of the dinner.

The dinner takes place in the triclinium, a room with three couches (lectus), where males eat reclinning on their sides, around a round table.

It is believed that during the Roman Republic most women and the poor ate sitting on chairs. Children ate in a separate place

These couches were arranged in u-shape with the table in the middle, with enough room around to serve the meal.

In the table were put food, wine and some cutlery except forks which were replaced for fingers.

Every guest position was arranged in advance by the host.

After an offering of pure wine to gods, the dinner can start and it goes, as it’s said by Horace, ad ovo usque mala, you mean, from eggs to apple.

Gustatio, which means starter, is the first part of the dinner.

It includes several kinds of eggs the usual salad and vegetables, pickles, mushrooms, small fish ... as appetizers.

The usual drink was mulsum (a mixture of wine and honey).

The main course is called prima mensa.

The decoration of this dish could be more important than the actual ingredients. For example, in the Trimalcion’s dinner were served various foods arranged in the shape of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

It consists in two or three dishes of meat (pork, beef, birds, sausages, ...) roasted or stuffed, and fish.

The third part is the secunda mensa or dessert.

They used to serve fresh fruit, cakes and nuts.

Sometimes the celebration goes on into a commisatio, which is an after-dinner entertainment in which much wine, melted with hot water, is served for long hours.