Typical Day in Ancient Rome

[john m roberts]

To this excellent precis I will add that the dinner party was the only form of domestic entertainment known to the Romans. All other forms of entertainment were public. There were no coctail parties, dances, etc. Thus the Romans seem to us to have spent an inordinate part of their time having dinner together, but it was unavoidable. The usual number at dinner was nine, though this was flexible. There was even a special place for a serving Consul, should one attend. True banquets were thrown by the super-rich but more often by organizations: funeral societies, guilds, clubs and so forth. These were paid for from the members' dues. Ancient Romans were extremely gregarious people and would have regarded as eccentric someone who preferred to be by himself.