The Satyicon for me was a bit hard to follow as I read through each chapter. Trimalchio is a freedman who had attained power and wealth. He is well known for putting on extravagant dinner parties where his servants bring course after course of delicacies. One portion of the reading described the circular tray that presented the food. The tray is presented with exotic food that represents each zodiac sign such as a sea fish or bull's eye. I could never imagine being presented with all this food, I would never know where to start. Throughout the book, Trimalchio shows off his wealth to his guests. I believe when you are wealthier, having lavish dinner parties or parties in general was a way for you to show off the wealth you have consumed. In some cultures, the way you dress shows off your wealth. Was having dinner parties apart of their culture to show off wealth? Wine is the drink of choice that is constantly being poured to Trimalchio and the guests. After a few glasses, Trimalchio gives his guests a tour of his house giving them an act of what his funeral would be like. Habinnas is a well known- tomb builder that was present at the dinner party as a guest. I believe from the reading, he was the one who had built the tomb that Trimalchio would lie in when he passed. In the story, Trimalchio brags about how all the food and wine is from his own property. This kind of goes hand in hand of what we have been talking about in class about organic foods and farming. All the food that was presented in the dinner party was fresh and prepared that day. Here is a youtube video that vividly describes what these dinners may have looked like!
It was a little hard to follow, I spent a good portion of my day yesterday getting through it all. That feast went on forever, any normal person would've been satisfied after the second round of food came in.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Obviously, even the narrator thought there was too much of everything. I noticed in the reading that Trimalchio says that everything comes from his own property, but he also admits that he's never seen any of it.
ReplyDeleteInteresting video portrayal :)
I am glad that it's not only me that felt as though I struggled through it! The narrator was full not even like halfway through the feast! There is so much food and it all comes from Trimalchio. It's a different culture than what we have now!
ReplyDeleteI think its crazy how much wealth you would need to do something like this. And it would be just totally overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteI also thought this was a hard read. And the amount of food they have is extravagant, I don't even think I could make it through that much. The amount of wealth it took to put this on had to be substantial.
ReplyDeleteI kept waiting for someone to ask when the dinner would be over. I could never imagine eating so much food in one sitting.
ReplyDeleteI love the comparison you made about ostentatious food being like our clothes today. Very interesting and a different perspective!
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