Cena facts for kids

In Ancient Roman culture, cena was the main meal of the day. The grammarian, Sextus Pompeius Festus, preserved in his De verborum significatione that in earlier times, cena was held midday but later began to be held in evenings, with prandium replacing the noon meal. "Cena" would occur after work was completed for the day and was a focal point of social life, along with the public baths, the frequenting of which often preceded the meal. Seating during dinner was in the triclinium, three couches for reclining arranged as three sides of a square, with a small table for food in the middle of all these.

The cena traditionally consisted of three parts. The appetizer course (gustatio) often included eggs, olives, and honeyed wine. The second, main course often included the main meat dish, like a roasted pig. The third and final course included desserts such as fruits or nuts. Only the very wealthy would consume exotic dishes such as giraffes, ostrich, lion, and peacock.