[Net : članak] Io Saturnalia !

Today marks the start of Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival in honor of the god Saturnus. One of the most popular Roman festivals, it was marked by tomfoolery, mayhem, merriment and the reversal of social roles, in which slaves and masters switched places (much like the Lord of Misrule in medieval celebrations).

Saturnalia was introduced around 217 BCE to raise morale after a crushing military defeat at the hands of the Carthaginians. Originally celebrated for a day on December 17th, its popularity saw it grow until it became a week-long extravaganza, ending on the 23rd. Efforts to shorten the celebration were unsuccessful – Augustus tried to reduce it to three days and Caligula to five (Party poopers! How did they get the reputation of being hell-raisers?), but these attempts caused uproar and revolt among the Roman citizens.

Saturnalia involved the conventional sacrifices, a couch (lectisternium) set out in front of the temple of Saturnus and the untying of the ropes that bound the statue of Saturnus during the rest of the year. A Saturnalicius princeps was elected master of ceremonies for the proceedings and, besides the public rites, there were a series of holidays and customs celebrated privately – including a school holiday, the making and giving of small presents (saturnalia et sigillaricia) and a special market (sigillaria). And gambling was allowed for all, even slaves.

Saturnalia was a time to eat, drink and be merry. The toga was not worn, but rather colorful and informal ‘dinner clothes’ and the pileus (a freedman’s hat, close-fitting and brimless like a fez) was worn by everyone. Slaves were exempt from punishment and treated their masters with (a pretense of) disrespect, celebrating a banquet before, with, or served by the masters. Yet the reversal of the social order was mostly superficial – the banquet would often be prepared by the slaves and they would prepare their masters’ dinner as well. It was license within careful boundaries, reversing the social order without subverting it.

The customary greeting for the occasion is a “Io, Saturnalia!” — Io (pronounced “e-o”) being a Latin interjection related to “ho” (as in “Ho, praise to Saturn”).

Saturnus was the Roman god of agriculture and harvest whose reign was described as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many authors. In medieval times, he was known as the Roman god of dance, agriculture, justice and strength, often portayed holding a sickle or scythe in one hand and a bundle of wheat in the other. Saturnus is sometimes identified with the Greek Cronus, the god of Time (hence chronological, chronic, &c.) who famously ate his children. Fear not, the children were later regurgitated intact through the intervention of their mother and went on to become the gods of Olympus! A gruesome tale, yet viewed metaphorically it can be seen as a simple moral – that Time eats everything in the end.

Saturday is sacred to Saturnus.

Io Saturnalia!

from  http://www.mytowerhamlets.co.uk/news/17th-december-saturnalia

[Net : Esej] Thematic Essay : The Roman Banquet

Tivoli Hoard, mid-1st century b.c.; Late Republican

The festive consumption of food and drink was an important social ritual in the Roman world. Known in general terms as the convivium (Latin: "living together"), or banquet, the Romans also distinguished between specific types of gatherings, such as the epulum (public feast), the cena (dinner, normally eaten in the mid-afternoon), and the comissatio (drinking party). Public banquets, such as the civic feasts offered for all of the inhabitants of a city, often accommodated large numbers of diners. In contrast, the dinner parties that took place in residences were more private affairs in which the host entertained a small group of family friends, business associates, and clients.

Roman literary sources describe elite private banquets as a kind of feast for the senses, during which the host strove to impress his guests with extravagant fare, luxurious tableware, and diverse forms of entertainment, all of which were enjoyed in a lavishly adorned setting. Archaeological evidence of Roman housing has shed important light on the contexts in which private banquets occurred and the types of objects employed during such gatherings.

Drinking cup, 1st century b.c.–1st century a.d.; Late Hellenistic or Republican

The dining room was one of the most important reception spaces of the residence and, as such, it included high-quality decorative fixtures, such as floor mosaics, wall paintings, and stucco reliefs, as well as portable luxury objects, such as artworks (particularly sculptures) and furniture. Like the Greeks, the Romans reclined on couches while banqueting, although in the Roman context respectable women were permitted to join men in reclining. This practice set the convivium apart from the Greek symposium, or male aristocratic drinking party, at which female attendees were restricted to entertainers such as flute-girls and dancers as well as courtesans (heterae).

A dining room typically held three broad couches, each of which seated three individuals, thus allowing for a total of nine guests. This type of room is commonly described as a triclinium (literally, "three-couch room"), although dining rooms that could accommodate greater numbers of couches are archaeologically attested. In a triclinium, the couches were arranged along three walls of the room in a U-shape, at the center of which was placed a single table that was accessible to all of the diners. Couches were frequently made of wood, but there were also more opulent versions with fittings made of costly materials, such as ivory and bronze (17.190.2076; 23.160.79; 27.253.1).

Cantharus (drinking cup), ca. 40–80 a.d.; Early Imperial, Claudian or Flavian

A proper Roman dinner included three courses: the hors d'oeuvres (gustatio), the main course (mensae primae), and the dessert (mensae secundae). The food and drink that was served was intended not only to satiate the guests but also to add an element of spectacle to the meal. Exotic produce, particularly those from wild animals, birds, and fish, were favored at elite dinner parties because of their rarity, difficulty of procurement, and consequent high cost, which reflected the host's affluence. Popular but costly fare included pheasant, thrush (or other songbirds), raw oysters, lobster, shellfish, venison, wild boar, and peacock. Foods that were forbidden by sumptuary laws, such as fattened fowl and sow's udders, were flagrantly consumed at the most exclusive feasts. In addition, elaborate recipes were invented—a surviving literary work, known as Apicius, is a late Roman compilation of cookery recipes. These often required not only expensive ingredients and means of preparation but also elaborate, even dramatic, forms of presentation. For example, in the fictional Cena Trimalchionis (Trimalchio's Dinner), written by Petronius Arbiter during the reign of Nero (54–68 A.D.), the wealthy freedman Trimalchio serves his guests numerous extravagant dishes, such as a roasted pig stuffed with sausages, a hare decorated with wings to resemble Pegasus, and various foods arranged in the shape of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

At the Roman banquet, wine was served throughout the meal as an accompaniment to the food. This practice contrasted with that of the Greek deipnon, or main meal, which focused on the consumption of food; wine was reserved for the symposium that followed. Like the Greeks, the Romans mixed their wine with water prior to drinking. The mixing of hot water, which was heated using special boilers known as authepsae, seems to have been a specifically Roman custom. Such devices (similar to later samovars) are depicted in Roman paintings and mosaics, and some examples have been found in archaeological contexts in different parts of the Roman empire. Cold water and, more rarely, ice or snow were also used for mixing. Typically, the wine was mixed to the guest's taste and in his own cup, unlike the Greek practice of communal mixing for the entire party in a large krater (mixing bowl). Wine was poured into the drinking cup with a simpulum (ladle) (1988.11.1), which allowed the server to measure out a specific quantity of wine.

Monochrome blown vessels, 1st–4th century a.d.
Roman

A decadent meal required an elaborate table service comprising numerous vessels and utensils that were designed to serve both functional and decorative purposes. The most ostentatious tableware was made of costly materials, such as silver, gold, bronze, or semi-precious stone (such as rock crystal, agate, and onyx). However, even a family of moderate means likely would have owned a set of table silver, known as a ministerium. Major collections of silver tableware, such as those found at Pompeii, Moregine (a site on the outskirts of Pompeii), Boscoreale, and Tivoli (20.49.2–.12), reflect the diversity in the shapes and sizes of vessels and utensils used.

A complete table service included silver for eating (argentum escarium) and silver for drinking (argentum potorium). Silver for food included large serving trays and dishes, and individual bowls and plates, as well as spoons, which were the primary eating utensil used by the Romans. The spoon came in two popular forms: the cochlear, which has a small, circular bowl and a pointed handle that was used for eating shellfish, eggs, and snails; and the ligula, which has a larger, pear-shaped bowl. Knives and forks were less commonly used, although examples have survived (19.192.64; 2006.514.3). Among the drinking silver, cups came in a variety of forms, the most popular of which had their origins in Greek types, such the scyphos and the cantharus, both of which are two-handled drinking cups. In numerous cases, silver drinking cups have been found in pairs (1991.11.6.1,2). It is possible that they were intended for use in convivial rituals, such as the drinking of toasts.

The most ornate silver cups were decorated with reliefs in repoussé, which frequently depict naturalistic floral and vegetal motifs, animals, erotic scenes, and mythological subjects. Imagery associated with Dionysos, the Greek god of wine, intoxication, and revelry, was popularly used on objects designed for serving and imbibing wine. This pair of cups, both of which depict cupids dancing and playing instruments, would have been especially suitable for a drinking party because their subject matter evoked the rites of Dionysos (1994.43.1,.2). Dionysiac imagery was also employed in other banqueting accoutrements, such as a bronze handle attachment for a situla (bucket-shaped vessel) in the form of a mask of a satyr or Silenos (1972.118.98).

Simpulum (ladle), 2nd century a.d.; Mid-Imperial
Roman

Similar types of tableware were made of less costly materials, yet they exhibit a high level of craftsmanship. Glass had become especially fashionable and was more readily available in the Roman world following the rapid development of the Roman glass industry in the first half of the first century A.D. (81.10.60). New techniques allowed glassmakers to create vessels in a variety of styles, such as monochrome glass, polychrome mosaic glass (29.100.71), gold-band glass, and colorless glass, which mimicked the appearance of costly rock crystal vessels (81.10.60; 29.100.71; 17.194.561; 81.10.32). Cameo glass, which was made by carving designs into layered glass, was especially prized among the elite for its delicately carved imagery, which was similar to that found on silver and gold tableware (11.91.5a; 81.10.349; 81.10.347).

Vessels made of terracotta were another affordable alternative. Terra sigillata, a type of mold-made pottery known for its lacquerlike red glaze, was widely popular. Terra sigillata vessels from Arretium (modern Arezzo, Italy), known as Arretine ware, were renowned for their relief decoration, which was typically produced using stamps of different figures and motifs (17.194.894; 17.194.896; 10.210.37). The terra sigillata industry also flourished in the provinces, particularly in Gaul, where plain and decorated vessels were mass-produced and exported to diverse parts of the empire (17.194.867).

Spoon and fork, 3rd century a.d.; Imperial
Roman

The final component of the banquet was its entertainment, which was designed to delight both the eye and ear. Musical performances often involved the flute, the water-organ, and the lyre, as well as choral works. Active forms of entertainment could include troupes of acrobats, dancing girls, gladiatorial fights, mime, pantomime, and even trained animals, such as lions and leopards. There were also more reserved options, such as recitations of poetry (particularly the new Roman epic, Virgil's Aeneid), histories, and dramatic performances. Even the staff and slaves of the house were incorporated into the entertainment: singing cooks performed as they served guests, while young, attractive, and well-groomed male wine waiters provided an additional form of visual distraction. In sum, the Roman banquet was not merely a meal but rather a calculated spectacle of display that was intended to demonstrate the host's wealth, status, and sophistication to his guests, preferably outdoing at the same time the lavish banquets of his elite friends and colleagues.

Katharine Raff
Bothmer Fellow, Department of Greek and Roman Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Citation

Raff, Katharine. "The Roman Banquet". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/banq/hd_banq.htm (October 2011)

Further Reading

Alexander, Christine. "The Workshop of Perrenius." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 2, no. 5 (January 1944), pp. 166–72.

D'Arms, John H. "Performing Culture: Roman Spectacle and the Banquets of the Powerful." In The Art of Ancient Spectacle, edited by Bettina Bergmann and Christine Kondoleon, pp. 301–19. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999.

Dunbabin, Katherine M. D. The Roman Banquet: Images of Conviviality. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Newby, Martine, and Kenneth Painter, eds. Roman Glass: Two Centuries of Art and Invention. London: Society of Antiquaries of London, 1991.

Oliver, Andrew, and John Shelton. "Silver on Papyrus: A Translation of a Roman Silver Tableware Inventory." Archaeology 32, no. 1 (January–February 1979), pp. 21–28.

Strong, Donald Emrys. Greek and Roman Gold and Silver Plate. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1966.

These related Museum Bulletin or Journal articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship.

Oliver, Andrew, Jr. "Two Hoards of Roman Republican Silver." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 23, no. 5 (January, 1965). JSTOR | PDF Alexander, Christine. "The Workshop of Perennius." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 2, no. 5 (January, 1944) JSTOR | PDF

Plinije Mladji : o gozbama

Gaj Plinije pozdravlja dragog Avita

1. Oduzelo bi mi suviše vremena da se upustim u pojedinosti, a nije ni važno kako se sve to dogodilo, o tome kako sam ručao s jednim čovekom, mada ne nekim naročitim prijateljem, koji je uobražavao da je dobar domaćin i uslužan čovek, a meni je izgledalo da je u isto vreme i tvrdica i rasipnik. 2. Sebi i malobrojnim gostima iznosio je birana jela, dok je pred druge, opet, iznosio obična jela, pa i njih, čini mi se, podeio u tri vrste, ali ne na takav način da bi gosti mogli sami da biraju, već tako da ponudjene čaše ne bi mogli da odbiju; jedno vino je servirao sebi i nama, drugo manje značajnim prijateljima (svoje prijatelje je rasporedjivao prema položaju), treće je nudio svojim i našim oslobodjenicima. 3. I moj sused za stolom je to primetio i pitao me da li takav postupak odobravam. „ A kakvog se običaja pridržavaš ti?“ upitao je on.  „Ja pred svakog gosta iznosim isto, jer  ja ih pozivam na ručak, a ne zato da bih pravio razliku u položaju; doveo sam ih jednake za sto, pa ih na isti način i u svemu ijednačujem.“ – „Zar i oslobodjenike?“ – „I njih, jer oni su moji gosti, a ne oslobodjenici.“ 4. A on će na to : „Pa to mnogo košta!“ – „Vrlo malo.“ – „Kako to može biti?“ – „Tako što moji oslobodjenici ne piju ono vino koje ja pijem, već ja pijem njihovo vino.“  5. I na časnu reč, ako umeš da ograničiš proždrljivost, onda se izlažeš manjem trošku, nego kad je deliš sa mnogima. Nju treba da suzbiješ i obuzdaš, da tako kažem, ako želiš da štediš na svojim izdacima, a to možeš da uradiš mnogo bolje ako savladjuješ sebe umesto da ponižavaš druge.

6. A čemu sve to ? Da ne bi jednom takvom mladom čoveku kao što si ti palo na um ovakvo preterivanje pod vidom štednje i ekonomisanja kakvo se nalazi u ponekim kućama. Kad god naidjem na takvu situaciju, moja ljubav prema tebi podstakne me da takav primer navedem da bi ga ti izbegavao. 7. Imaj, dakle, na umu da ništa na svetu ne treba više izbegavati od rasipništva i tvrdičluka. Jer to su dve ružne i odvratne osobine, već i svaka za sebe sramna i utoliko gora ukoliko se nadju zajedno. Budi mi zdravo.

Gaj Plinije pozdravlja dragog Katilija Severa 

1. Doći ću na večeru, ali samo pod uslovom da bude jednostavna i skromna i obilata samo sokratovskim razgovorima, ali i to sa merom. 2. Biće tu i ranih jutarnjih posetilaca koje ni sam Katon ne bi mogao izbeći i kome Gaj Cezar zbog toga prigovara, ali tako da ga, u stvari, hvali. 3. On, naime, prikazuje prolaznike koji su mu, videći ga pijanog, zadigli skut toge preko glave. Zatim dodaje : "Čovek bi pomislio da je Katon iznenadio njih, a ne oni njega!“ da li se Katonu moglo odati veće priznanje nego ovo koje je dobio, i to u pijanom stanju. 4. Naše večere, medjutim, treba da sačuvaju meru u pripremanju, u troškovima, vremenu trajanja, jer mi nismo od onih koje ni njihovi neprijatelji ne bi mogli kuditi, a da ih ujedno i ne pohvale. Budi mi zdravo!

Još o tome ovde : http://www.theromanforum.com/?p=641

Kao i u knjizi Around the Roman table odakle je i ovaj starorimski recept  :

Soft-Boiled Eggs in Pine-Nut Sauce
 

In ovis hapalis: piper, ligustcum, nucleos infusos. Suffundes mel, acetum; liquamine temperabis.

For soft-boiled eggs: pepper, soaked pine nuts. Add honey and vinegar and mix with garum. (Apicius, 329)

for 4 small eggs

200g pine nuts
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon honey
4 tablespoons garum or anchovy paste

Soak the pine nuts overnight in water. Then drain and grind them finely in the blender or pound them in a large mortar. Add the pepper, honey and garum. Heat the sauce in a bain-marie. Meanwhile put the eggs into a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Let them cook for 3½ minutes, then take them off the heat, plunge them into cold water and peel them carefully. The outer edge of the egg white must be firm, but it must be soft inside. Put the eggs, left whole, into a deep serving bowl and pour over the sauce. Serve.

This recipe can be adapted easily to other eggs, such as quail's eggs. In that case keep an eye on the cooking-time: a quail's egg will be firm in 1 minute.

[Književnost : Hadrijanovi memoari ] O jelu i piću

Preterano jelo je rimski porok, ali ja sam bio sladostrasno uzdržan. Hermogen ništa nije morao da menja u mojoj ishrani, izuzev možda ono nestrpljenje s kojim sam proždirao bilo gde i u bilo koji sat prvo jelo na domaku ruke, kao da odjednom hoću da se otresem prohteva gladi. A samo se po sebi razume da bogatom čoveku koji zna samo za voljno lišavanje, ili ga je iskusio samo privremeno, kao jednu od manje-više uzbudljivih nezgoda rata ili putovanja, ne priliči hvalisanje time što se ne prejeda. najesti se do grla u odredjene praznične dane oduvek je bila prirodna težnja, radost i ponos siromašnih. Voleo sam miris pečenog mesa i zvuk grebanja po porciji za vreme vojnih svetkovina, voleo sam što su gozbe u logoru (ili ono što je u logoru bila gozba) bile uvek ono što treba da budu, vesela i prostačka naknada za lišavanje u radnim danima; dosta sam dobro podnosio miris od prženja na javnim trgovima u doba Saturnalija. Ali rimske gozbe su u meni izazivale takvu odvratnost i dosadu, da sam i onda kads mi se činilo da ću umreti u nekom izvidjanju ili vojnom pohodu sam sebe tešio da bar neću više morati da prisustvujem večerama. Nemoj me vredjati smatrajući me za običnog poklonika lišavanja : obred koji se odigrava dva ili tri puta na dan, a cilj mu je da odžava život, svakako zaslužuje našu punu pažnju. pojesti voćku, znači uneti u sebe lepu, živu, stranu stvar koju je othranila i odnegovala zemlja, kao i nas; to znači prineti žrtvu, samo tu sebe više volimo no stvari. Nikad nisam zagrizao ceo vojnički hleb, a da se ne zadivim što će ta teška i gruba masa umeti da se pretvori u krv, u toplotu, možda u hrabrost. Ah, zašto moj duh, i u svojim najboljim danima, ima samo jedan deo te moći upijanja koju ima telo ?

Baš u Rimu, za dugih zvaničnih obeda, dešavalo mi se da razmišljam o relativno skorom poreklu naše raskoši, o narodu štedljivih ratara i skromnih vojnika, zadovoljnih belim lukom i raži, iznenada pokošenih osvajanjem Azije, koji sad proždiru istančanu hranu sa primitivnošću izgladnelih seljaka. Naši Rimljani se guše u pečenim jarebicama, dave se u sosovima i truju začinima. Jedan Apicije ponosi se nizom posluženja, čitavim redom jela, kiselih ili slatkih, teških ili tananih, koja sačinjavaju njegove složene gozbe; još da je svako od tih jela posluženo za sebe, svareno na prazan stomak, znalački ocenjeno netaknutim nepcima gurmana, pa hajde de. Ali izneta bez reda, usred svakodnevnog i običnog obilja, ona u ustima i u stomaku čoveka koji jede stvaraju odvratnu mešavinu, gde miris, ukusi i sastojci gube svoju pravu vrednost i svoje divno svojstvo. Jadni Lucije, nekad je uživao spravljajući mi retka jela; njegove paštete od fazana sa znalački odmerenom šunkom bile su dokazi veštine precizne kao što je i umetnost muzičara ili slikara; a ja sam ipak žalio za čistim mesom ptice. Grčka se u to bolje razumevala; njeno resko vino, njen hleb prošaran susamom, ribe pečene na roštilju kraj mora, nejednako pocrnele na vatri i začinjene tu i tamo rasprslim zrnom peska, zadovoljavali su glad jednostavno, ne obavijajući nizom složenih priprema naše najjednostavnije uživanje. Okusio sam, u nekim krčmama Egine ili Falerona, hranu tako svežu, da je ostajala božanski čista uprkos prljavim rukama sluge u krčmi, tako skromnu i tako dovoljnu kao da sadrži u najsažetijem obliku neku esenciju besmrtnosti. I meso pečeno uveče, posle lova, imalo je tu skoro žrtvenu vrednost i vraćalo nas je još dalje, u divlje poreklo rasa. vino nas odvodi u vulkanske tajne zemlje, u skrivena mineralna bogatstva : pehar vina sa Samosa u podne, na pripeci, ili , naprotiv, u zimskoj večeri, u stanju zamora, koji dozvoljava da se odmah pod grudima oseti njegovo toplo proticanje, njegovo sigurno i žarko razlivanje duž naših arterija, to je skoro sveto osećanje, ponekad suviše jako za ljudsku glavu; taj isti čisti doživljaj ne nalazim u vinu numerisanih rimskih podruma, a pedantizam dobrih poznavalaca vina me razdražuje. A sa vodom koju pijemo iz šake ili na samom izvoru pobožno teče kroz nas najtananija so zemlje i kiša neba. ali voda je poslastica koju bolesnik kakav sam sad ja može da uživa samo umereno. Šta mari, čak i u agoniji, i pomešanu sa gorčinom poslednjih lekova, trudiću se da osetim njenu svežu bezukusnost na svojim usnama.

Rimski kuvar po Apiciju, koji se i ovde pominje, može se naći u izdanju Stylos-a :

Prvi Kuvar ponikao i zapisan na tlu Evrope - predstavlja neverovatnu riznicu kulinarskih i kulturoloških postignuća antičkog sveta. Pred vama su maštoviti recepti za spremanje jela sa bogate trpeze antičkog Rima, u kojima će istovremeno uživati obožavaoci istorije, jezički sladokusci i kulinarski gurmani.

Koji su osnovni sastojci i recepti rimske kuhinje? Kako se obedovalo i kakav je bio izbor hrane i pića u starom Rimu? Kako je izgledala antička kuhinja i kako je teklo pripremanje hrane? Kako su zaista izgledale čuvene antičke gozbe? Kakve savete čuveni rimski kuvar Apicije daje domaćinima i kuvarima?

Rimski kuvar je prevela, obradila i recepte prilagodila Slađana Milenković.

939,00 din

[Web : blog] The Dirty Roman Dozen by writer Caroline Lawrence

Whenever I visit schools to talk about my books set in Ancient Rome, I often bring along some of my favourite artefacts. Most of these aren’t real antique objects, but convincing replicas made by re-enactor friends or bought in museum gift shops.  But they are close enough to the original to give children a visible, tangible idea of how 1st century Rome from 21^st century Britain. I let the kids look at them, sometimes handle and sniff them, even taste them.  The Roman poet Martial mentions some of these artefacts in his fourteenth book of Apophoreta, poetic Saturnalia gift-tags.  In these charming two-line epigrams the gifts sometimes speak in first person. e.g. the bedroom lamp that promises no what it sees,tacebo: “I won’t talk”. 

These artefacts help me get a little closer to the mindset of a first century Roman.  Quite a few of them end up appearing as clues in my Roman Mysteries.  Here are a dozen of my favourites.

I. Clay oil-lamp in the shape of a foot

reminds us that Romans had no electricity. Their houses would have been dimly lit at night and smoke streaked during the day. Fire was a constant risk. This fun oil-lamp in the shape of a sandalled foot is a replica of an oil lamp found in Londinium.  I bought this particular lamp at the Museum of London and you can see form the scorched big toe, I’ve tried it out.  Martial 14.39 talks of a bedroom lamp that won’t tell what you’ve been getting up to.

II. Strigil

reminds us that Roman bathing habits were very different from ours.  They didn’t use soap, but oil (hence the bottle) in a public ritual of oiling up, exercising, steaming, sweating and then scraping with the strigil.  As you pulled the strigil across your sweaty skin, it would remove the oil, and along with it the layer of dead skin cells, dirt and sweat.  You would get a bath attendant or slave to do your back.  In Martial 14.51, a strigil tells us that if you regularly use him, you won’t have to take your towel to the cleaner’s so often.

III. Wax-tablet

reminds us that Romans didn’t have emailor text messages, or even a chea version of writing paper.  You had to use parchment, papyrus, thin sheets of wood, or re-useable wooden tablets like this one, with wax in a shallow depression.  You would use a tool called a stylus with a sharp for writing and the flat for rubbing out.  The wax on the famous tablets from Vindolanda has long gone, but clever archaeologists can still make out traces of letters and words in the wood underneath.

IV. Bleeding cup

reminds us that Romans had a different concept of medicine and health. Bronze bleeding cups like this one were used for both ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ cupping.  In dry cupping, a flaming piece of lint was put in the cup and then applied to the skin.  The flame immediately went out and a vacuum sucked out the bad humour.  In wet cupping, the doctor made an incision in your arm and drained a cupful of blood.  This was the Roman equivalent of taking two aspirin.  There must have been some benefit, people have been doing this since Roman times.  A few years ago, the actress Gwyneth paltrow was seen with distinctive marks of ‘dry cupping’ on her back.

V. Snail spoon

reminds us that food was a constant preoccupation of the Romans. If invited to dinner, you took your own spoon, and sometimes your own napkin, too.  As well as dabbing your mouth, you could use it to carry home leftovers as a sort of ‘doggy bag’.  The sharp end on the spoon is for hooking a snail out of its shell and probably also for spearing other goodies.  Martial’s snail-spoon says, “I’m useful for eggs as well as snails, so why do they call me a snail-spoon? (Martial 14.121)  There were no forks in Roman times, apart from the big ones used by gladiators, that is.  I have long since lost the spoon.  A hazard of letting primary school children handle your artefacts.

VI. Nuggets of gum mastic

remind us that in many ways the Romans were just like us; this is their version of chewing gum. I bought these in a small shop on the island of Kos, famous for its medical sanctuary.  To me, mastic tastes like a combination of cumin and carrot, only sweeter.  Pop one of these in your mouth and chew for a few minutes then take it out.  It will have gone white, just like modern chewing gum.  ion fact can still buy mastic gum today in Greece or in specialist shops.  They say chewing it is good for stomach complaints.  And of course, it freshens your breath, like the fennel seeds in the bowl above.  We know from Martial 14.22 that you could even get toothpicks made from gum mastic.

VII. Phallic amulet

reminds us that the Romans were deeply superstitious.  This little willy flanked by two big ones wasn’t rude; it was designed toavert the evil eye .  You can see a few tiny phallus amulets in the Roman Life Room of the British Museum.  They were especially for babies and younger children who were particularly vulnerable.  You can also see bigger “wind chime” versions with bells on, to protect the whole house.  I bought this particular replica at a Roman site in Spain.

  

VIII. Glass ‘chariot beaker’

reminds us that Romans had the ancient equivalent of souvenir mugs. This authentically-made mould-blown cup byRoman Glassmakers David and Mark is a replica of one from Colchester in Britannia (known as the “Colchester Cup”). Although none of this exact type have been found in Italia, versions of it must have been sold in the Circus Maximus, for it shows the spina(central barrier) of that arena in the middle band.  Below the spina are four quadrigae.Right at the top, the charioteers are named: Antilochus, Hierax, Olympas and the winner, Crescens, who holds his right hand up in triumph.

IX. Wooden dice

reminds us that the Romans liked board games and games of chance, even though gambling was illegal, except during the Saturnalia.  I bring cheap wooden dice in a wooden shaking cup but what I’d really like to bring is this beautiful rock crystal die from the room 69 – the Roman Life Room – in the British Museum.  I love this artefact so much that I made it a vital clue in my first book, The Thieves of Ostia, about canicide in Rome’s ancient port.  Martial’s die claims to be better  than knucklebones, which were also used for gambling. 

X. Brass seal box for wills

reminds us that Romans were concerned with law, order and munus (duty). It was every Roman’s duty to make a will and have it properly witnessed and stored.  Wills were written on wooden wax-tablets, then bound and sealed, often with a bronze teardrop-shaped box like this.  You dripped sealing wax into the open box and it would adhere to the wood and binding.  There was no way of opening the will or altering itwithout disturbing the seal.  In this picture, we see the underside of the seal box with holes for the wax to leak through.

XI. An ‘as’ of Domitian

reminds us that Romans were among the first to employ the concept of a recognizable brand in the picture of the emperor… on coins.  I bought this as (a coin worth a fourth of a sestertius) at the antique dealers opposite the British Museum.  I’d prefer a coin of Titus who is the emperor when my books are set, but he only reigned for just over two years so coins with his face are hard to find.  In thefinal book of my series, I try to solve the mystery of whether Titus was murdered by his younger brother.

XII. Sponge-stick

reminds us that the Romans were both fastidious and disgusting to our modern sensibilities. This was a bottom-wiper. You can read more about it here.  This is my piece-de-resistance and is so popular in schools that it spawned an international short story writing competition for kids, the Golden Sponge Stick Competition, created and run by Jeremy Pine at Burgess Hill School for Girls. Details to be announced in September. For news of it, “like” the Roman Mysteries Facebook Fan page.

Caroline Lawrence won the 2009 Classical Association Prize for her Roman Mysteries series.  You can read more about her work on her website,http://www.romanmysteries.com/ or follow her on Twitter: @CarolineLawrenc