Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-15
W. SIIEN it comes to sitting down to the table an
\X/ pilng the food away course after course. thre
w and four times a day, forebears made u

w times a day forebears made
look like underfed sisses.
Neither the ancient Roman, the English
French Cavalier the American colonst
could get along happily a modern bill Of fare.
the ancient Greeks and Romans started
with dishes and banquet wasn't considered success
unless the participants had through 60 courses
The Frenchman. the Englishman, and the German Of
Ages wasn't behind the ancients when it
pling the food away and the American coonst
kicked if his dinner didn't to at least 10 courses
During the last few years however. modern man has
steadily cutting down his food consumption, and
the idea of table orgies has except in the Far East rac
In China and Tibet the not withstandng Orentals
still take great delight in whipping up banquet Of 10
courses Wealthy Persans Indians, and Afghanistans
also like their big dinners.
Archaeological indicates that far back
1000 and 1000 b. c. the residents Of Mesopotamia and
Egypt constantly going off on big food hinges.
Even the Bible takes cognizance OF the eating ability
of the ancients One story for example tells how King
Solomon tossed banquet at which he ordered served 30
flour go of meal 10 fattened 20 other
100 sheep and suitable number OF hars roebucks
faow deer and fowl All this washed down with
wine and beer.
1t was the Greeks who first raised eating a fine
art it the Romans who improved the custom
and turned it into virtual ritual.
When the Romans took over they borrowed from the
Greeks the Near East and wherever else they could get
idea AS result they set the most luxurious tables
the world has seen-before since.
While the Greeks in for afer-dnner and during
dinner speeches, the Romans cut this their routine
and stuck strictly to the business Of eating Even
sation during meals frowned upon.
The very wealthy had no than five full meals a
day a Romans stomach excellent
barometer of his wealth and the length Of his belt
good way to judge his credit.
These ancient gourmets for such deicacies
peacock brains, pheasans and nghngales tongues And
when they sat down. rather reclned a couch for
dinner It often the beginning Of orgy that lasted
several days Seutonius example. casually mentions
that of his parties lasted whole day, all night
most of the following day.
According to a contemporary Lucinus Promius an
army contractor of 81 b. c. served the following dinner
to three colleagues
Olives wild sucklings aked
lamb chops damson plums pomegranate grains stewed
bird brains. peafow peppers rams head pie roast
beef kidneys lamb frys African dates cheese, fish,
hare lobster muets bread cucumbers Syrian and
Greek dates drops of frozen Spanish honey endve e
lied apples pudding peaches sewed liver
nuts, grape jelly snas picked turnips kidney beans
sated olives pastries chopped nuts ounces oysters and
scalops
And what's food without drink? So to wash down the
foregoing meal the quartet three jugs of Araby
wine jug Chinese cordial two jugs of Syrian wine
jug of Naples and three jugs of Faernan wine five large
jugs of Fransh beer large jug of Egyptian beer two
jugs of light Spanish wine and jug apiece of barley
History fails just who carried the quartet
out and there's little wonder that some historians claim
the Roman Empire fell--t just passed out
All Romans. however, did not eat sumptuously The
poor themselves with solid meal day
lunch-and few figs in meal for supper occasionally
topped off with bit Of fish
Among the rich the favorte game to who
could throw the best dinner party Viteus who spent
estimated 81 in entertaining really rocked the boys
their heels with his Shield of Minerva" lunch
covered huge table with shield shaped pastry which
opened revealed 1000 fish and 5000
three Apici brothers. who lived in the time of
glstus built up reputation gourmets gourmets
II this discovered dozen to oys-
tersnstead Of the usual Roman custom of dshng them
up MA
To Promufs goes the credit for nventng and serving
cockaia mixture of honey and wine, served cold
in Summer hot in Winter This food genius served his
cocktails not only before every course
That modern better off for cutting down his
consumption there is little doubt The life charts OF
of ancient and modern times prove that