Excursus I - The Meals

Summary

THE contrast between the simplicity of earlier times, and the very refined luxury of a later period, appeared most strikingly perhaps at the table. The prodigality of its equipments were ultimately made not only with the view of indulging the palate by the choicest dainties, but also from a desire of obtaining the rarest articles, at whatever price. These were heaped up in dishes, without any regard to their being agreeable to the taste, but simply because they imparted an additional splendour to the banquet, on account of the immense sums they had cost. Besides which, the grand object of the Roman gourmands was not merely to eat daintily, but as much as possible; and they sought to increase their capacity for so doing by the most unnatural means. The golden saying, Il faut manger pour vivre, et non pas vivre pour manger, was precisely inverted at Rome. As such importance was attached to everything relating to the table, there is naturally no lack of materials for a description of the habits connected with it; and several writers not only take pleasure in reverting frequently to the subject, but have also left us detailed accounts of grand banquets. Struckii, Antiquitates Convivales; Ciacconius and Ursinus, De Triclinio; Bulengerus, De Conviviis; are the most complete writings thereon; but we shall pay but little regard to them, as they are rather confused masses of collected passages, than lucid expositions, and also abound with errors.