as was alleged, in honour of Pallas ; for this number was
brought into a mystic connection with wisdom as well as
virginity. Plato was in favour of the number twenty-eight, in
honour of some astronomical considerations connected with
that number which have received various explanations. The
Emperor Octavianus Augustus, dui'ing whose reign women
began to take a more conspicuous place, and apparently a
more active share, in the life of Eoman society, generally
had twenty-four persons at his table, half of whom were
women. The Emperor Varus desired always to have twelve
diners at his table, in honour of the planet Jupiter, which
was supposed to perform its course in twelve years (actually
eleven years and nearly 315 days).
In France no particular number of diners was fancied
more than another, but the number thirteen was objected
to, as it is by superstitious people in the present day. In
Italy, however, during the period of the Eenaissance, the
number of thirteen was not even noticed, much less
objected to.
In ‘ Athenseus ’ we can read of the kinds of fish and
vegetables most fancied at Eome ; of imported vegetables
were most esteemed the radishes of Mantinea, the turnips
of Thebes, and the beetroot of Asia. The Eomans knew all
good fish, and took care to serve their tables well with
them ; those fishes which had nice colours, and were of
lively aspect, were exhibited living on the table just before
being killed and cooked. They had sturgeon brought as far
as from the Caspian. Over fish even the Senate is reported
to have lost its self-possession, as when, what is almost in-
credible, and perhaps an invention of a satirist, it advised
the Emperor Domitian to have a certain turbot prepared
with a particular sauce. A frequently used dish was herrings
from the iEolian, now Liparian, Isles.
Of desh food the Eomans had nearly the same kinds as
we have now, and probably in very large quantity. It is
F<LESH FOOD OF ANTIQUITY AND MIDDLE AGES 629
said that they knew turkeys tinder the name of meleacjrides
{i.e., aves), on which see supra; these probably came from
Asia and were rarities, certainly not used for food as
commonly as nowadays, but mainly kept as ornamental
birds, like the peacocks and hens in farms, courts, and
parks. Our present turkey came to us from America,
although it bears many names, including kirkey and calicitl,
which point to an intermediate starting - point. The
pheasant, which the Argonauts had brought to Greece, was
imported into Italy, together with the cherry and the peach,
by Lucullus. The Greeks and Eomans ate dogs,* and con-
sidered them, when young, plump and carefully prepared,
delicate and wholesome food, as the Chinese do in the
present day.
Dinners were made the means of luxurious exhibitions
first amongst the Eomans. The augur Hortensius, on his
appointment, gave a dinner at which, for the first time, a
roasted peacock, with its principal feathers restored to it,
was served on the table. At ceremonial dinners pies with
a hundred small birds became fashionable ; later on dishes
made of fillets of such birds, which were more convenient to
eat; this gave rise to the fables about the pates composed
of the tongues of nightingales and other singing birds.
Page 396
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
as was alleged, in honour of Pallas; for this number was brought into a mystic connection with wisdom as well as virginity. Plato was in favour of the number twenty-eight, in honour of some astronomical considerations connected with that number which have received various explanations. The Emperor Octavianus Augustus, dui'ing whose reign women began to take a more conspicuous place, and apparently a more active share, in the life of Eoman society, generally had twenty-four persons at his table, half of whom were women. The Emperor Varus desired always to have twelve diners at his table, in honour of the planet Jupiter, which was supposed to perform its course in twelve years (actually eleven years and nearly 315 days).
In France no particular number of diners was fancied more than another, but the number thirteen was objected to, as it is by superstitious people in the present day. In Italy, however, during the period of the Eenaissance, the number of thirteen was not even noticed, much less objected to.
In ‘ Athenseus ’ we can read of the kinds of fish and vegetables most fancied at Eome ; of imported vegetables were most esteemed the radishes of Mantinea, the turnips of Thebes, and the beetroot of Asia. The Eomans knew all good fish, and took care to serve their tables well with them ; those fishes which had nice colours, and were of lively aspect, were exhibited living on the table just before being killed and cooked. They had sturgeon brought as far as from the Caspian. Over fish even the Senate is reported to have lost its self-possession, as when, what is almost incredible, and perhaps an invention of a satirist, it advised the Emperor Domitian to have a certain turbot prepared with a particular sauce. A frequently used dish was herrings from the iEolian, now Liparian, Isles.
Of flesh food the Romans had nearly the same kinds as we have now, and probably in very large quantity. It is
F<LESH FOOD OF ANTIQUITY AND MIDDLE AGES 6It is said that they knew turkeys under the name of meleagrides (i.e., aves), on which see supra; these probably came from Asia and were rarities, certainly not used for food as commonly as nowadays, but mainly kept as ornamental birds, like the peacocks and hens in farms, courts, and parks.Our present turkey came to us from America, although it bears many names, including kirkey and calicitl, which point to an intermediate starting - point. The pheasant, which the Argonauts had brought to Greece, was imported into Italy, together with the cherry and the peach, by Lucullus. The Greeks and Eomans ate dogs,* and considered them, when young, plump and carefully prepared, delicate and wholesome food, as the Chinese do in the present day.
Dinners were made the means of luxurious exhibitions first amongst the Eomans. The augur Hortensius, on his appointment, gave a dinner at which, for the first time, a roasted peacock, with its principal feathers restored to it, was served on the table. At ceremonial dinners pies with a hundred small birds became fashionable ; later on dishes made of fillets of such birds, which were more convenient to eat; this gave rise to the fables about the pates composed of the tongues of nightingales and other singing birds.