Chapter 1
The voices on Roman walls
Chapter 2
Gladiators beyond the arena
Chapter 3
The truth about Roman dining
Chapter 4
Hygiene and the Roman bathroom
YOUR GOAL
Master of Strange Roman daily life
Ch 3 · The truth about Roman dining
misslily The truth about Roman dining
No throwing up, it’s just a theater gate, to let the crowd escape!
misslily Roman banquets featured exotic dishes like dormice, peacock tongues, and fermented fish sauce.
misslily Elite Romans dined while reclining on three-sided couches arranged around a central table.
Fun Fact
Fermented fish sauce: The Romans loved garum, a sauce made from fish intestines left in the sun for months to ferment.
Glossary
vomitorium (noun)
An entrance or exit passage in an ancient amphitheater or theater designed for rapid crowd dispersal. This architectural feature is often falsely associated with the gluttonous dining habits of wealthy Roman elites.
An entrance or exit passage in an ancient amphitheater or theater designed for rapid crowd dispersal. This architectural feature is often falsely associated with the gluttonous dining habits of wealthy Roman elites.
Quiz
How many couches were typically arranged in a standard Roman "triclinium" dining setup?
Quiz
Which century's writers are primarily responsible for popularizing the vomitorium myth?
Quiz
Which rodent was considered a gourmet delicacy when stuffed with pork in ancient Rome?