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Currently reading "Emperor of Rome" by Mary Beard where she argues that these parties are probably very exaggerated. She argues that in the majority of unearth

Currently reading "Emperor of Rome" by Mary Beard where she argues that these parties are probably very exaggerated. She argues that in the majority of unearthed royal palaces, the kitchens were very small and wouldn't allow to cook such complicated parties. Besides, she argues, most stories of such big parties were written by sycophants needing royal approval, people anxious to show the importance they didn't have or political enemies with an interest in badmouthing previous emperors (mostly for Nero, Caligula and Elagabalus).

mesofile 2y ago
> She argues that in the majority of unearthed royal palaces, the kitchens were very small This doesn’t seem to allow for the possibility that they would have brought in caterers with their own equipment, as many people throwing a large dinner would still do, and not relied entirely on the house facilities? It’s my (very inexpert) understanding that most kitchens in pre-modern homes were rather cramped, foul spaces, often semi- or fully detached due to odors, smoke, and the risk of fire spreading to the main living quarters. One could see how even in a grand house the kitchen might only be suitable to cook for a small number of people. Of course I don’t doubt that in these matters Mary Beard knows far more than I do, but that particular line of reading struck me as odd.