What did a Roman feast look like?

A Roman feast — the cena — was far more than a meal. It was a performance of wealth, a social ritual, and a sensory journey that could stretch for hours. Guests reclined on triclinia (dining couches) while slaves brought an astonishing sequence of dishes.

The meal opened with the gustatio — an appetiser course of eggs, shellfish, honeyed wine, and sometimes dormice rolled in poppy seeds and honey. Then came the primae mensae, the main course, where roast meats, birds, and elaborate sauces dominated. Each dish was not merely eaten but admired for its exotic ingredients and intricate preparation.

• Garum — fermented fish sauce used as a condiment on nearly every dish
• Stuffed sow’s udder — a delicacy served with pepper and lovage
• Peacock tongues and flamingo meat — symbols of extreme luxury
• Honey‑drenched pastries and fresh fruit for the secundae mensae
• Unlimited watered wine, often flavoured with spices, rose petals, or resin

Between the food, poetry was recited, music played, and dancers moved through the torch‑lit room. A Roman feast was a world unto itself — a place where convivium (living together) reached its most extravagant expression.