There's a wonderful fictional description of this sort of thing in the Satyricon of Petronius, which was written in Nero's time. It's a sort of parody, to be s

There's a wonderful fictional description of this sort of thing in the Satyricon of Petronius, which was written in Nero's time. It's a sort of parody, to be sure, but that only means that it takes things a little too far... Trimalcho is a former slave who, "like Ganymede," came to Rome from its Asian province. He is now extravagantly rich and famous for his wild parties. One night, he hosts a banquet, and the protagonists of the Satyricon -- a couple of adventuring knaves -- somehow manage to obtain invites. First, appetizers were served on silver and golden plates. Then there were: - A bronze-and-silver donkey bearing baskets filled with olives (green on one side, black on the other). - A tray with a display of the twelve zodiac signs, each holding a dish representing a specific month. - A giant platter of dormice (!) sprinkled with honey and poppy seeds. (Considered a great delicacy!) - A wild boar stuffed with live thrushes, which flew out when the boar was carved open. (!!) - A course featuring seafood, including an aquarium-like dish that mimicked the sea with shells and fish. All the while, there were wild entertainments and interesting conversations. No wonder the article mentions that people would pay huge sums to attend the best banquets! (Trimalcho was supposedly based on a real person known as Nasidienus, also famous for his parties.) The Satyricon is such a great book.