What did Romans eat for dinner? How did Roman dinners differ depending on socioeconomic status? To follow the readings and activities for Romanum Prandium and Romanum Ientaculum, we introduced some common dinner vocabulary to teach about the Romana Cena. We aren’t teaching synchronous classes to our students, so we created videos and short readings for our students to allow for repetition of the vocabulary.
We introduced the students to the list of vocabulary. Students watched a short video on Cena Coreana and read about the cena Magistri Smith. Students also watched my husband’s video (with outtakes) and read his story. I also made a video about dinner, with outtakes, and here’s the accompanying story our students read, which introduced the glossed word vegetarian. (Also, although I made my video first and pointed out that he was wearing the same shirt as me… alas, he didn’t change it. So, behold, we are both wearing the same shirt my mother-in-law sent us. That sure was an exciting Superbowl for someone who spent most of her life in Kansas!)
Note: The copyright for Romanum Prandium and the linked videos and stories is owned by my school, Loveland Classical Schools. Loveland Classical Schools grants permission to use and to adapt this story for use in your own classrooms for non-commercial purposes.
Romana Cena: Vocabulary
We introduced this vocabulary to allow students to talk about dinner and, of course, dessert. I recognize that there are some different options for pizza as well as ice cream, but we introduced this vocabulary to our students. They will have seen a little bit of this vocabulary in the lunch videos where, alas, my husband made an excellent pizza I couldn’t eat.
- Pitta Neopolītāna, pittae Neopolitānae, f. – Pizza
- Collȳrae, collȳrārum, f.pl. – Noodles (spaghetti)
- Carō, carnis, f. – Meat
- Carō būbula, carnis būbulae, f. – Beef
- Carō gallīnācea, carnis gallīnāceae, f. – Chicken
- Olera, olerum, n.pl – Vegetables
- Oryzum, oryzī, n. – Rice
- Fabae, fabarum, f.pl. – Beans
- Cēna, cēnae, f. – Dinner
- Dulcia, dulcium, n.pl. – Desserts
- Lībum, lībī, n. – Cake
- Glaciēs edibilis, glaciēī edibilis f. – Ice cream
We glossed the words and grammar in bold in the story.
Rōmāna Cēna Antiquōrum Rōmānōrum
Quid Rōmānī comēdērunt cēnae? Multī modernī hominēs putant Rōmānōs comedisse maximam cēnam. Sī Rōmānī multam pecūniam habēbant, Rōmānī certē comēdērunt maximam cēnam. Multī Rōmānī, autem, nōn habēbant multam pecūniam. Quā dē causā, multī Rōmānī comēdērunt parvam cēnam.
Quid erat parva cēna multīs Rōmānīs? In cēnā, erat pānis et puls (fortasse puls avēnācea!). In pulte avēnāceā, Rōmānī nōn numquam posuērunt olera et olīvās. Rōmānī nōn numquam comēdērunt cāseum et pōma cēnae. Rōmānī quī nōn habēbant multam pecūniam nōn comēdērunt multam carnem. Nōn comēdērunt multōs piscēs, et nōn comēdērunt carnem būbulam et carnem gallīnāceam quia carō erat cāra.
Paucī Rōmānī quī habēbant multam pecūniam poterant emere carnem būbulam et carnem gallīnāceam. Hī Rōmānī poterant habēre maximam cēnam in quā reclīnābant in trīclīniō. Servī dedērunt multum cibum et vīnum. Cēnae, Rōmānī comēdērunt acētāria, olera, carnēs, piscēs, avēs, et fabās.
Hī paucī Rōmānī (quī maximam cēnam habēbant) quoque comēdērunt dulcia sīcut lība. Lība nōn habēbant saccharum, sed habēbant mel. Pōma erant dulcia Rōmānīs. Quā dē causā, Rōmānī comēdērunt pōma et lība postquam cēnam.
Quid vōs putātis dē Rōmānā cēnā?
