The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-02-06
FOOD OF THE ANCIENTS.
Hew the People Satisfied Their Appetites
HAtfA.t La the Past.

The young were admitted along with the
old to the public tables, and although ii was
understood that the conversation should be
of a kind to elevate the youthful mind, it
was not meant that the talk to which they
might listen should be made common gossip.
Nothing spoken here must ever go ont
there" the old man would say to their jun
iors, pointing to the door BY all accounts
the early Greeks were vegetarians and were
strictly temperate. They were satisfied with
the simplest fruits, and their drink was
water Even when agriculture had made
some progress among them, and barley
bread could be had, the richer people pre-
ferred the old condition of living. The
barley bread must have been great boon
to the poor among the primitive Greeks, see
ing that they were driven at times TO dine
on grassboppers and leaves. Much the
same conditions prevailed among the Romans
who only on festive occasions partook of an
imal food, their ordinary repast consisting
wholly Of milk, herbs and roots. There
came time, however, when the Romans
went to the opposite extreme and when the
whole Empire used to be searched, as it
were, to furnish 1elicacies or novelties for
he table. The Yorkshire pie of the past
was notable for the variety of It's contents,
but it was simplicity itself compared with
the Trojan horse" of a fashionable Roman
banquet This dish was a whole boar,
disembowelled and filed with small animals
and birds. Occasionally the removes"
were brought in like a pyramid, the dishes
being built mp from dashboard rs table.
There was not only extravaganza but great
great waste at these banquets. Some of the
accounts that have come down TO us read as
though the object of the host was TO prepare
not for epicures, but for gluttons. In one
instance twelve guests met to feast ON eight
bears, and boars at the time were costly.
The name of Incubus las become n proyerb
in connection with feastinq but, in justice
to him, IL must be said that he was not with
ont method in the the feasts he gave He
spent money freely for good living, but he
was sensible enough to have a scale of pro-
bable costs to go by, and eventually, to save
himself and his servants trouble, he gave q
distinct name to each room in his house,
and the puryeyors could always tell by the
ooom selected for feast to what expense
they were to 60. Some extraordinary mix.
TIRES were prepared for epicures. Thus,
vitellus, in silver salver, used to blend the
ivers of gilt heads, the brains Of pheasants
and peacoclss, the tongues Of phenicopters
and the mills of lampfcys. This preparation
would at Least be edible, which is more than
can be said for the dissolved pearls Caligula
and Clodius gave to their guests. 1t is re.
lated ofApicius, that in addition to con-
siderable income he laid aside ninety mil.
lions Of sesterces in hard cash for no other
purpose but TO be devoted 10 luxurious liv-
ing, and he succeeded so well that he was
afraid, when he found he had only ten mil
lions left, that he would be starved to death
and so he poisoned himself. LEEDS Mar.
eavy.