Roman Dinner Parties Flashcards
What were Roman Dinner Parties an opportunity for?
For the paterfamilias to entertain friends and impress contacts
When would a cena begin?
At about the ninth hour and could go on for hours
Where was the meal given?
In the houses’ triclinium
What three courses would a standard cena have?
The gustatio, the cena, the secundae mensae
What did the gustatio consist of?
Light appetisers such as eggs, olives or salad- vegetables. Followed by muslum (wine sweetened with honey)
What would the cena consist of?
A single meat or fish dish or vegetables
What would more expensive dinners might have?
A variety of courses at this stage e.g including different meats
What would the secundae mensae consist of?
Fruits, nuts or simply sweet cakes
How would a dinner party begin?
A slave would announce their guests as they arrived and they were led to the triclinium and shown to their places
How would the Romans eat?
Holding their plates in the left hand, they would use their right hand to eat and would mainly use their fingers
Where was the food placed??
On the central table which was kept supplied by the slaves
What would the slaves be doing during the party?
Walk around pouring wine and offering basins of water for diners to wash their hands in
What was a comissatio?
A drinking session which was led by the master of ceremonies
Who would the master or ceremonies either be?
The host or a guest appointed by him
What was the rex Convivii’s job?
To decide the strength of the wine and he would then fix the number of cups which the guests had to drink and down in one
