New-York tribune., 1880-06-20
THE ROMANS At TABLE,
F,.o,, Fjule,,s Ma0azine,

From Fnievs Md0dzlne:
With the Empire began that eDooh OF spenuiu
gnttonv which has no parallel. The history OF inc
Clesars with some exceptions, Is the narrative OIL
continual Orgie. ~ 49, ,0ho- ~
ruests from nine to twelve, prolonged his suppers
fhrouphOut the night. Nero sat at table from MD
day to midnight IiPeus sRent Two o1 Snys e%
tItes-not only the gigantic Maximllla1. VINO ae-
voured forty pounds OF Heshmeat an9 uranh ii I'VE
gallons Of wine at meal Dut unieai uauHieo VIZ ino
(,ommOdus who ate even in the bath Vlteliius,
who ceased eating only while be slept Domit1an,
who ate " out of his hand to stay his stomach IN
the intervals of regular repast
IIelOgabaluS was perhaps the mosb eiaooFate'
Vitellius the most extrnvagant, IN his daIly faIe'
The latter squandered IN seven months 3o,OOOUUV,
rLieav on his fable Tie total staggers bellrt but
It mscTanne lie figures on the other side. The Ro-
man epicure is reported to hayepad T3Zo OF so Ior
,nullet brace of pigeons cost $S AT an enIertalh-
mcnt given to Vltellus by his brother, 2OOO OF the
rarest fish and 1000 of the most curious 1lrds were
served up. One individual spent S2o,OOO on SIN
gle disI made of the tongues OF the costlesI slne
fnR-birds. The Roman bon VlVaDt, snppihg Oh the
hrains of peacocks and pheasants. the tongues Ol
uphtngales and the roes Of the most deilcate nses
swallowed thousands of dollars at a mealj ana we
need only multply the individual expense by the
number of the guests TO form notion or inc COST O
| n blRh-olass dinner IN the DAYS OF the C9sars' a
supper in the Apollo meant $lO.OOO thrown 10 @ @the
| nnryeyOrs But tho EmpPrOrs were certainty the
most reckless in the prOlgaoes OF the table, Seneca
and Iacitu4 are among the authorities who tell Us
that lologabaus spent $lOOoOO on one supper Per;
|
! winch cost over S150,000, and drank bumper
stll more precious Ii is asserted furtner tDat tne
| Emneror Verns treated twelve friends TO u feaS'
which cost $3.50 900; aud Seneca Is Responsible tol
| tho statement that Caligula spent $4OO,OOO on q
| supper. A., ,. .,.,. ,o,onoo
| of old Rome. The EmperOrs were among its mosl
| dIligent students. and took rank among Its mos
| sncrrssful practitioners. HehogabaluS, Vite!hus
| commands bat as liberal protectors or that pecu
liar talent winch consists In the extension OF human
endowment by the discovery Of fresh incentives u
rho aDpetite rhe literature OF the SteWpan, as may
| he supposed was in profitable accord with the rul
inp taste Tiberlus bestowed competence upon the
| vii who wroGc n dialogue between the mushroom
| the oyster the thrush and the becaico Hi:
| would hnvo been the golden ago OF profeSsiona
| cookery but that the expert was generally slave
oook cried the contemporary satlrlst IS as costly
| AS n triumph, aud a fish is as dear as COOK: Z
| slave knowing his business was valued at Sf,OUO
| Plato philosophy and ALL was valued In tho slave
| market of Syracuse at 1850
| A COPY of the classic Mrs. Glasse has come dOwI
To uS and most of the recipes are rather calculated
| 10 sicken than TO stimulate the modern palate. lt
| hoil a chicken IN the fashion OF Apicius you VII
please pur INTO mortar anlseed dried mint am
EIzrr-root ian Armenian growth of most detestabi'
| flavor and smeln, cover them with vinegar, adl
| h0uamen oil extracted from the putrld entraliS
tshl small quantity of mustard seeds reduce all u
| n DrOper thickness with sweet gine ana tnen pOu
| The aame over your chicken which should be pro
| yIously bOllcd in aniseed water. The menu. o
| which this mess is n specimen, must nave DeeD. u
many respects revolving, but 1t probably was CRATE
fnl To the sOmachs Of "a great people and strong
seasoning and pungent dishes developed the homai
| loft IN \