Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-24
LuculIus' Splcndor.


osity which bears his name.
Lucullus' SpIcndor.
Fit for Lucullus'' is a compliment often
paid to the dinner which has rivaled all
predecessors. yet not many know why. The
palace of the great Roman general, Licinus
Lucullus, was at Naples, where surround
ed by splendid gardens, meats, saltwater
fish ponds, and pleasure pavilions, the owner
gave banQuets that startled even his own
extravagant world. When he dined alone
his table was covered with the magnificent
and costly Tyrian purple, and his plate was
set with precious stones. He had for di-
versity, when sitting in solitary state, dane
ing girls and music, and the dishes of the
various courses were as numerous as
though for regiment. when Lucullus
dined with Lucullus," he once stated, the
ccstliest only would please" Cicero and
Pompeius asked to dine with him one day
to see if his boasts We're true. The only
word he sent to his servants was that he
would dine that day in the Apollo room"
and he did not mention that he expected
guests. His servants understood, however.
Lucullus had various dining rooms, and
for each a certain sum was set aside to be
expended for the dinner-or meal-to be
eaten there. When Lucullus mention ed the
Apollo room the servants knew that $1,000
drachmas, or in the neighbOrhood of 81 300
OOo, was to be spent on the m eal and in the
few snort hours they spent that sum.
Augustus was something of a gourmet
though 1t is said of him in apology that he
never drank more than a quart of wine at
a sitting. His dinners were epochs to re-
member because of the people he had at
his banquet board. One historian says:
"One would have liked the dinner with
Augustus Imperator, and the two great
poets of his time, of whom he pleasantly
remarked that he sat like tragedy. be-
tween signs and tears Virgil, suffering
from difficulty of breathing and Horace,
being afflicted with weak eyes. | know not
what good things may have been eaten,
30 ~ ff,,
said Augustus was particularly fond of
brown bread, green cheese and green figs.
He was also fond of apples, cucumbers and
lettuce. and he ate when he got hungry
Tiberius, who followed his Uncle Angus
tus, resigned to Sejanus, his minister and
his favorite, nearly all his authority and
power that he might give himself over to
a reVel OF profiiSacy. he was devoted to
the pleasures of the table. and paid $4,000
for the compilation OF a dialogue, in which
the author treated of the merits and good
qualities of thrushes, mushrooms and oys-
terS.
The WhitechapeI Club Outaonc.
For CHASTITY effects, terroriZing denoue-
ments and ludicrous situations the Grid
ironers, the White Chapel and Suicide
Club are not in it with the fertile In
genuity Of this humorist emperor. Of whom
Dion tells this story: Having resolved to
give dinner to some of the highest Of the
J Roman nobility he fitted up an apartment
all in black. Black was the ceiling black
the pavement, black were the walls and
black also the bare stone seats or 'lecti'
The guests were GsEcred in al night I'M
attended. and on taking their seats each
saw at the head of his couch & column Ike
a tomb stone, on which his name was en-
graved, with a cresset lamp above IT, such
as was then in use for tOmbs. Presently
a troop of naked boys with biacHened faces
entered, and danced around with horrii
motions prior to offering them such funer-
al l,.1-. -
for the dead. The guests sat silent and
! terror stricken, expecting every moment
/ to be put to death. and this the more be-
cause Domitian broke the stiffness with
solemn utteranceS on things pertaining to
| the future state Of the departed But when
/ he had sufficiently enjoyed his CHASTITY Jest
and played with the apprehensions of his
victims be dismissed them to their homes
! presenting each with the silver cup and
platter he had used in the gloomy 'coena'
and with the slave duly washed and APP
pareled who had waited on him." In COM
menting on this the writer properly eX-
presses doubt, whether cup platter and
slave compensated the sufferer for the ter
rible fright he had Undergone
1t will be seen from this that dinner
souvenirs are as old as dining almost. Sad
to relate too, the fad of having dinner
| dancers to entertain New Yorks four hun
dred in the privacy of a room, where the
high kicilers toe makes Itself vigorously
familiar with the cut glass pendants of the
chandelier, is not original either. Herodias
danced before Herod at his birthday feast,
and her pay was the head of John the Bap-
list. Even the introduction of Mrs. James
, Brown Potter and her risQue reclta ton
/ before select company was a medieval
idea rehabilitate1. The circus and the
singing, the pantomimes and the mono
/ lOgueS, and music. We're all worn thread
bare dinner amusementS when Rome
was young. and when, between the courses
of the nightlOng banquets, gladiators fought
for laurels and life, and rope dancers poised
and pirouetei above The flowers and old