Food as Power
Do you think they wore togas at Nero's parties?
In previous posts I’ve talked about food as an expression of love. But there’s another side of food and dining, that maybe isn’t quite so innocent, when food is tied up in power. A story in the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday made me think about this other side.
There’s an excavation going on in Rome that revealed what they believe are the ruins of Nero’s banquet hall. Nero was one of the famous Roman emperors, famous for his cruel depravity, and his love for performing. But he must have also loved entertaining since during the excavation they found a revolving dining room. According to Latin historian Suetonius, there was a dining room that rotated day and night and had panels that slid back and forth showering flowers and perfumes on the diners. Archeologists believe that this may have been that room. The room had a diameter of more than 50 feet, and sat on a 13-foot wide pillar and four spherical mechanisms that were probably powered by flowing water, rotating the room.
If I had been a guest that was wined and dined in that room by Nero, I would have been awed by the experience and his power. Wouldn’t you?
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Even if I wasn’t wined and dined I’d be impressed. The rich and powerful have always produce spectacular displays. Why? Because they can.