Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

:306 COENA. COENA.
and the introduction of Roman customs, we only agreeably with Seneca's account (Elp. 84), Panis
read of two courses. The first course embraced deinde siccits et sine mensa prandiumn, post quord
the whole of what we consider the dinner, namely, non, sunt lavandae sag2ius. From the latter pasfish, poultry, meat, &c.; the second, which cor- sage we learn incidentally that it was a hasty
responds to our dessert and the Roman bellaria, meal, such as sailors (Juv. Sat. vi. 101) and soldiers
consisted of different kinds of fruit, sweetmeats, (Liv. xxviii. 14) partook of when on duty, withconfections, &c. out sitting down. The prandiunm seems to ha\ve
W5hen the first course was finished the tables originated in these military meals, and a doubt has
were taken away (a'{pesv, a7raCpeLw, ratipelV, been entertained whether in their ordinary life the
d&.aipct, ElPi p, eppe O, ard(elv 7ra pasrECas), and Romans took food more than once in the day.
water was given to the guests for the purpose of Pliny (Ep. iii. 5) speaks of Aufidius Bassus as folwashing their hands. Crowns made of garlands of lowing the ancient custom in taking luncheon; but
flowers were also then given to them, as well as again (Ep. iii. 1), in describing the manners of an
various kinds of perfumes. (Philyll. op. Athenz. ix. old-fashioned person, he mentions no other meal
p. 408, e.) Wine was not drunk till the first but the coena. The following references (Sen. Ep.
course was finished; but as soon as the guests 87; Cic. ad Att. v. 1; Mart. vi. 64) seem to prove
had washed their hands, unmixed wine was intro- that luncheon was a usual meal, although it canduced in a large goblet, called sUErs~dYo1rTov or Jes'a- not be supposed that there were many wh,, like
Yu7rTpiS, of which each drank a little, after pouring Vitellins, could avail themselves of all the various
out a small quantity as a libation. This liba- times which the different fashions of the day altion was said to be made to the " good spirit" lowed (Suet. Vit. 13). It would evidently be
(&yaoo6 aaiuoovos), and was usually accompanied absurd, however, to lay down uniform rules for
with the singing of the pa-an and the playing of matters of individual caprice, or of fashion at best.
flutes. After this libation mixed wine was The prandiunz, called by Suetonius (Augy. 78)
brought in, and with their first cup the guests cibus meridianus, was usually taken about twelve
drank to Atls:oTrWipos. (Xen. Synp. ii. I; Plato, or one o'clock. (Suet. Cal. 58, Claud. 34.) For
Syinp. c. 4. p. 176; Died. Sic. iv. 3; Suidas, s. v. the luxurious palate, as we gather incidentally'A'yaOoO Aealiovos.) With the esroviai, the aEnrvo'oe from Horace's satires, very different provision was
closed; and at the introduction of the dessert made from what was described above as his own
(6EdV'epal rpa-7rE'aL) the 7rdros, u/evlmrdetov, or simple repast. Fish was a requisite of the table
ceueos commenced, of which an account is given in (Sat. ii. 2. 16)the article SYMPOSIUM. (Becker, Chzarikles, vol. i. Foris est promus, et atrum
pp. 411-4560.)'Defendens pisces hyemat mare,"
2. ROMAN. In the following account of Roman
meals, we take the ordinary life of the middle ranks to which the choicest wines, sweetened with the
of society in the Augustan age, noticing incidentally finest honey, were to be added -
the most remarkable deviations, either on the side " Nisi Hymettia mella Falerno
of primitive simplicity or of late refinement. Ne biberis diluta,"
The meal with which the Roman sometimes bewhich latter practice is condemned by the learned
gan the day was the jentaculumn, a word derived,
as Isidore would have us believe, ajjnio solendo, gastronomer (Sat. ii. 4. 26), who recommends a
and answering to the Greek ahcpailou a. Festusweakerixture
tells us that it was also called prandiatda or silatueem. " Leni praecordia mulso
Though by no means uncommon, it does not ap- Prolueris melius,"
pear to have been usual, except in the case of
children, or sick persons, or the luxurious, or, as and gravely advises to finish with mulberries fresh
Nonius adds (Do Re Gib. i. 4), of labouring men. gathered in the morning (Ibid. 21-23; see Tate's
An irregular meal (if we may so express it) was HoTcce, 2nd ed pp. 97-106).
not likely to have any very regular time: two epi- The words of Yestus, coena aped aitiquos dicegrams of Martial, however, seem to fix the hour at bal qud naprandimn, have given much trouble
about three or four o'clock'in the morling. (Mart. to the critics, perhaps needlessly, when we rememEp. xiv. 233, vili. 67. 9.) Breadi. as we learn ber the change of hours in our own country. If
from the epigram just quoted, formed the sitbstan- we tianslate coea, as according to our notions we
tial part of this early breakfast, to which cheese'ought to do, by " dinner," they describe exactly
(Apul. AMet. i. p. 110, ed. Francof. ]621), or dried the alteration of our own manners during the last
fruit, as dates and raisins (Suet. Aug. 76) were century. The ao of the Greek word Esre om,
sometimes added. The jentacidamn of Viteliius
somnetimnes added. The, jenac ae of Vitellius which, according to Athenaeus, was used in a
(Suet. Vit. c. 7. c. 13) was doubtless of a more similar way for 6plnTro, also affords assistance.
solid character; but this was a case of monstrous Another meal, termed szerenda, is mentioned by
luxury. Isidore and Festus, for which several refined disN-ext folloxwed the prandiu or luncheon, with tinctions are proposed; but it is not certain that
persons of simple habits a frugal meal - it really differed from the prandiuns.
The table, which was made of citron, maple-wood,
Quantum interpellet inani or even of ivory (Juv. Sat. xi.), was covered with
Ventre diem durare." a mantele, and each of the different courses, somneHeor. Sat. i. 6. 127, 128. times amounting to seven (Juv. Sat. i. 95), served
upon a fsrcululm or waiter. In the "rmunda
As Horace himself describes it in another place supellex" of Horace, great care was taken
(Sat. ii. 2. 17),
S"Ne turpe toral, ne sordida mappa
"Cum sale panis Corruget nares; ne non et cantharus et lanx
Latrantena stomachum bene. leniet," Ostendat tibi te." Ep. i. 5. 22-24.