Domitia by S. Baring-Gould
CHAPTER XIV.
A LITTLE SUPPER.
Longa Duilia and her entire household had returned to the capital, andwere installed in the family mansion in the Carinae.
Happily, as Corbulo had considered it, this house had escaped in theconflagration of Rome under Nero. This, however, was a matter of someregret to Duilia, who would have preferred to have had it burnt, so thatit might have been rebuilt in greater splendor and in newer style.
Nevertheless, although externally dingy, it was a commodious mansionwithin, and was well furnished, especially with carpets and curtains ofOriental texture, that had been wrought at, or purchased at the bazaars ofAntioch and Damascus.
The centre of the house was occupied by the _atrium_, or hall, open to thesky above the water tank in the midst. On each side at the further endfrom the entrance extended the "wings" that contained the family portraitsenclosed in gilded boxes or shrines, the doors of which were thrown openon festal occasions. In the centre, between the wings was the _tablinum_,the reception-room of the house, and on the right side of the entrance wasthe family money-chest, girded with iron.
On the ledge of the water tank before the reception room, smoked a littlealtar before an image of Larpater, the ancestor and founder of the family,regarded as the tutelary deity of the house.
The _penates_, the subsidiary household gods, that had formerly beenretained in the hall, near the altar--curious, smoked, and badly-shapeddolls, some in rags, some in wood, others in terra cotta--were sometimesconsigned to a family chapel, but in the house of the widow of Corbulo, asin many another, they had been relegated to a shelf in the kitchen nearthe hearth, and a lamp was maintained perpetually burning before them.
In primitive times, when life was simple, the hall had been the commonroom of the house, in which the wife cooked the meals at the hearth, andwhere also on seats, father, wife, children and domestics partook togetherof the common meal. But now all this was altered.
In winter the hall was too cold to be sat in. It was inconvenient to havethe cooking done before all eyes. Consequently a separate kitchen andseparate dining-rooms were constructed, and the smoking altar and theimage by it alone remained in the hall as a reminiscence of the familyhearth that once stood there.
It is more difficult to understand the meals and meal times of the oldRomans, than the arrangement of their houses.
They rose vastly early in the morning, and took a snack of breakfast ofthe simplest description, which lasted them till lunch at 10 a. m. Butsuch as were occupied abroad rarely returned home for this meal. At noonthey bathed, and then came the great feed of the day, the _coena_, which wetranslate "supper," but which was begun at half-past one in winter and anhour later in summer.
This lasted the entire afternoon, and even on great occasions into thenight. Some revellers did not break up till midnight, or even prolongedthe orgy to dawn.
It was not till the Goths and Vandals overflowed the classic world, thatthe supper was postponed until the evening.
The Roman citizen's day was from dawn till noon. Then he had his snoozeand his bath, and the remainder of the day was devoted to the mighty mealand to reading, conversation, and amusement.
"I am so pleased to see you," said Longa Duilia, stepping forward toreceive the Praefect of Rome, to her little supper.
He was a gray-headed, plain, blunt man, with very ordinary features; hewas attended by two lictors, and by his son, Sabinus.
"I thank you, madam, for the courteous invitation."
"I could kill myself with vexation not to have made your acquaintanceearlier. You see, for some years I have been at Antioch, with my dearesthusband, whose sword--that sword which drank the blood of Germans,Parthians and Armenians--excuse these tears--you see it--suspended yonder.But, as I was saying, we have been from Rome so long, and since my returnI have lived in such seclusion, that we have not met--and yet, consideringour relationship----"
"My dear lady, I was unaware that I was entitled to such an honor."
"Oh! yes, of course, cousins."
"Cousins!"
"Through Vespasia Polla, your mother. What a sweet creature she was! Sodistinguished in her manner. She had such an intelligent face, and, as Iremember her, the remains of great beauty. Of course I was then quite amite of a child."
"This is indeed flattering."
"You men have other things to consider beside pedigree. Cousins wecertainly are. And how is that sweet lady, your wife? By all accounts asfrail as the last autumn leaf on an acacia."
"I am glad to say that, on the contrary, she enjoys rude health."
"You do not say so! What fibs are told! Your son Clemens is not here? I--Ihave heard, does not go into society, a little peculiar in his views. Weare not all made alike. But this, your son Sabinus, is formed like anApollo. And your daughter Plautilla--so sorry! infected in the same way.Will not go to dinners or shows--ah! well it is her loss. It is a pleasureto reunite family ties. Alas! you know of my irreparable loss. I do notknow whether you saw the sword of my darling. He fell on it. Bathed itwith his blood. Every night I bedew the sacred blade with my tears. Excuseme--my emotion overcomes me. I would have buried myself at Gabii, claspingthe sword to my wounded bosom for the remainder of my shattered life, hadit not been for the health of my child. A mother's thoughts are with heroffspring. Well, now to table. A widow's fare, only a small supper in ahouse of mourning--though more than a twelvemonth since the funeral--indeed,two years since my dear one died--on that sword. Oh! I turn away my eyes!The sight of that blade. But, come--that is my daughter. Salute her. Acousin. Give me your hand, Flavius. The table calls us."
The house of a wealthy Roman at this period had not only a summerdining-room, open to the air, but one also for winter, well heated bystoves. Three tables were placed, so as to accommodate nine persons, threeat each, leaving the ends of two and an open square in the middle.
Into this hollow the servants ran the "repository," a sort of what-not, onwheels, consisting of a tier of shelves, all laden with dishes; and theguests put forth their hands and selected such meats as they fancied.
Knives they had, but no forks. In place of these latter they werefurnished with spoons, having the extremity of the handle turned down asclaw or hoof, or sharpened to a point, so as to serve to hold the meatwhilst it was being cut. When so employed, the bowl of the spoon was heldin the hollow of the hand; but when used as a spoon, then the end wasreversed.
A sideboard was piled up with silver and gold plate. In addition in acorner stood a round table with three feet; on which were laid napkinsneatly tied up with blue and red bands. These napkins contained trinkets,rings, brooches, comfits, mottoes, and were to be given to the guestsalong with the dessert. Our presentation of Christmas crackers is areminiscence of the old Roman custom of making presents to the guests atthe close of a banquet.
The males lay at table on couches, with their legs extended behind them,their left elbows reposed on pillows. It was against ancient Roman customfor ladies to recline, but recently some empresses had broken through therule, and when they set the example of lounging, others followed. Duilia,however, was a stickler in some things, and she somewhat affected archaicusages, as a mark of distinction, as a token of the antiquity of thefamily, whose customs had acquired an almost sacred sanction. Ladies saton stools.
The couches and seats were sumptuous, inlaid with mother-of-pearl,tortoise-shell and silver, and were covered with Oriental carpets.
Every guest was attended by a slave, bearing an ewer and napkin, so thathe might cleanse his fingers directly they became greasy--a necessity ofconstant recurrence, on account of the absence of proper forks.
A baldachin of embroidered silk was stretched above the table, and theheads of the banqueters. This was done for the purpose of cutting off thedraught, as immediately above, in the ceiling, was the _lacunar_, anopening through which the steam and savor of dinner might escape, andthrough which, when the canopy was
A Roman dinner began, like one in Russia at the present day, with a_gustus_, a snack of something calculated to stimulate the appetite or tohelp digestion.
Then came in soft-boiled eggs, the invariable first dish, just asinvariably, the meal closed with apples.
With the eggs were served salads and sauer-kraut, cabbage shredded invinegar, Brussels sprouts boiled with saltpetre to enhance their green,turnips and carrots in mustard and vinegar. Melons were eaten with pepper,salt, and vinegar; artichokes were consumed raw, with oil; mallows andsorrel, olives, mushrooms and truffles were favorite vegetables, and wereeaten along with large snails, oysters, sardines, and chopped lizards.
All this was preparatory.
Now entered the repository, groaning under meats and fish. At the samemoment a slave produced and handed round a menu card. But before eating, abenediction was pronounced, the household gods were invoked and promised ashare of the good things from the table.
It is unnecessary to catalogue the solids and _entrees_ sent up at such asupper. Pork was a favorite dish, and there were fifty ways in which a pigcould be served up. Octopus was much relished, as it is to this day inItaly. Wild fowl was stuffed with garlic, mutton with asafoetida, and somemeats were not considered in condition till decomposition had begun.
The strong savor produced by those dishes was dissipated by servantsholding large fans, and counteracted by the diffusion of aromatic smoke,and the sprinkling of guests and table with essences.
A supper consisted of several courses, but a considerable interval elapsedbetween each, which interval was filled in with conversation, or enlivenedwith the antics of buffoons, or with music, or the recitation of poetry.
Nothing in the smallest degree unseemly was allowed in the house of LongaDuilia, at such entertainments.
We read a good deal, in the ancient authors, of the license allowed atsuch times, but this was not general, certainly was not suffered except invery "fast" houses, and such were attended by none who respectedthemselves.
The widow knew how to make herself agreeable. Flavius Sabinus, thepraefect, was a great talker, and there was a little rivalry between thetwo as to which should lead the conversation. Domitia hardly spoke, butthe guests generally entertained themselves heartily.
Lamia was there, and near his betrothed, but found it difficult to carryon conversation with her. Since the questioning of Ishtar in the Temple atGabii, she had been haunted by the visions presented to her inner sight,and she was unable to shake off the oppression of spirits and distress ofmind, they had caused.
When supper was ended, previous to the dessert, all rose, a grace wassaid, and again the household gods were invoked.
All were thus standing, in solemn hush, whilst a portion for the deitieswas being taken away, when the curtain before the door was roughly drawnaside, and a young man ran in--then halted, bewildered by the lights andthe company, and hesitated before advancing further.
A faint cry escaped the breast of Domitia; and she staggered back, andcaught Lamia convulsively by the wrist.
Then Flavius Sabinus said apologetically to his hostess:
"This youth is my nephew, Titus Flavius Domitianus, the younger son of mybrother Vespasian. Pardon his lack of breeding, lady--I bade him find mehere, if matters of importance demanded my attention. Excuse me, I pray,if I retire with him and hear what news of weight he bears."
Duilia bowed, and the praefect, leaving his place, went to meet his nephew.
Lamia felt that Domitia was trembling. He looked in her face and italarmed him. With wide eyes she was staring at the intruder; her lips wereslightly parted, every trace of color had deserted them; and between themgleamed her teeth.
Not till the curtain had fallen, and hidden the form of the young man, ashe left with his uncle, did she breathe freer.
Then she heaved a long sigh, and said in a faint voice:
"It is he--the eighth crowned head--the fifth come again--the new Nero. OLamia! Terrible is Fate!"