infamous parties.

Yes, early Roman civilization enjoyed the occasional group

getting it on together, and Caligula's sexy gatherings

made the Playboy mansions grotto, even

during its hedonistic heyday, seem more

like a corporate retreat.

No, the real parties in ancient Rome

were about status, guest lists, and food.

And if a host hired a group of harlots

to entertain the guests after dinner, well, as they say,

when in Rome.

Today we're going to discover what

Roman parties were really like.

But before we get started, take a moment

to subscribe to the Weird History Channel,

leave us a comment, and let us know

what hedonistic period of history

you would like to hear more about.

Now turn that music off, we're in the mood for a Roman party.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Like all great social gatherings,

dinner parties in ancient Rome were

big on two things, the food and the guest list.

The food was always top notch, but a party in ancient Rome

was really an excuse for hosts to get all their most elite

friends together in one place.

That said, a Roman dinner party, also known

as a convivium in Latin, took place

within every level of society, even the commoners.

Unfortunately, most of the documented evidence

that historians have found only describe the dinner parties

of the wealthy and privileged.

A good example of this is in David Matz's book, Daily Life

of the Ancient Romans.

In the book, Matz quotes Suetonius

on Emperor Augustus' habit of throwing dinner parties.

He gave dinner parties constantly and always formally,

with great regard to the rank and personality of his guests.

He served a dinner of three courses

or of six when he was most lavish,

without needless extravagance, but with the greatest

good fellowship.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The spread at these dinner parties was a big deal.

And just the way it was displayed meant everything.

A hosts goal was to impress guests enough to call in favors

and make impressions, so they had

to bring their A-game when it came to the menu.

The rule of thumb at these parties

was that the more exotic and expensive the food,

the more impressive the host looked.

Hosts who really wanted to show everyone how rich and cultured

they were would arrange platters of different dishes

from which guests could choose, much

like a fancy version of Golden Corral.

According to the illustrated history of the Roman Empire,

the protein course alone might include veal, suckling pig,

boar, venison, hare, wild goat kid, porpoise, bream, hake,

mackerel, mullet, oysters, sole, chicken, duck, goose,

partridge, thrush, turtle dove, even crane, flamingo,

and ostrich.

Whew, and wow, porpoises, flamingo, now that's decadence.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

While there were lots of these private dinner

parties with guest lists made up of society's upper crust,

ancient Romans didn't shy away from mixing

with the hoi polloi.

These public parties they hosted were called epulums,

and they were based on religion.

The Eplulum Jovis, for instance, was held each year

in honor of Jupiter to commemorate

the dedication of the Capitoline temple in Rome.

It was a festival of feasting.

And even the gods were formally invited,

although they attended in the form of statues.

Other Roman holidays were accompanied

by feasts that spilled over from the public to private spaces.

Food was made available in public,

but citizens also hosted their own parties during which

they ate and drank.

Gregory S Aldrete describes the party scene

during the Roman holiday Saturnalia

in his book, Daily Life in the Roman City,

Rome, Pompeii, and Ostia.

The week was taken up with non-stop parties and feasts.

All shops, law courts, and schools were closed.

Normal moral restraints were loosened

and everyone was expected to engage in all forms of revelry

and fun.

This was the only time of year people

were allowed to gamble in public.

Bands of revelers ran through the streets

drinking and shouting, or as Las Vegas calls it, Friday.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Of course, these elite ancient-Roman private dinner

parties featured more than just fancy food stuff

and cool guests.

Live entertainment was also a factor

for judging which Roman threw the best parties.

While engaging conversation amongst the VIP guests

was how dinner parties were measured,

a good host also scheduled poetry readings, music,

plays, and acrobatics.

The most impressive dinners could end

in an intimate gladiator fight.

But they also sometimes featured discreet interactions

with ladies of the night.

Like all formal parties, where a guest

sat said everything about status, and more

importantly, how tight they were with the host.

And since Roman noble parties were all

about building relationships and making connections,

the seating arrangement was a decision

that wasn't taken lightly.

That's why the host would spend an incredible amount of time

working on seating arrangements to make sure networking

opportunities were maximized, like a bride assembling

a seating chart for her wedding.

Of course, ancient Romans didn't create a seating chart

because their parties relied on chairs.

These opulent Romans lounged on couches and beds arranged

around tables, and they usually only fit one to three guests.

And just like a bride's co-workers or least favorite

cousins, guests at an early Roman party who weren't a-list

sat furthest away from the host.

Some things never change.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Wine was a big deal in Roman culture.

And nowhere was vino more important than at a fancy Roman

dinner party.

Beer was also available, but it was

considered uncivilized for the likes of an elite Roman party.

So those who wanted to look sophisticated

would drink wine to boost their clout.

But wine was special, it was served in many different forms,

but Romans usually drank it as calda and mulsum.

Calda was served warm full of spices,

and was generally considered a good winter drink,

sort of like a nice hot toddy.

Mulsum was a little sweeter, it was a honey-infused wine,

and it was pretty common among the Romans.

And while the Roman partiers loved their fine wines,

they didn't treat it very well.

All wine was mixed with hot water before the party

because it was considered uncivilized to drink

it straight.

Of course, this sounds about as civilized

as a New Jersey housewife who drops an ice cube in her rose.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Dedicated to Bacchus, the god of wine,

bacchanalia was the closest event

to state-sanctioned debauchery in ancient Rome.

The rivalry has only been surpassed

by the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York,

and maybe the live tapings of 90s hit, Girls Gone Wild.

There were drinking, feasts, and dramatic performances for all

to enjoy.

The festival got so popular, in fact, the Roman government

eventually banned it, or at least introduced legislation

to tightly control it, which cooled off

some of the more hedonistic party games.

The bacchanalia took place mostly at night

and was originally a religious ceremony.

It evolved to focus more intensely

on the salacious aspects of the party.

As Roman historian Livy describes it,

to their religious performances were

added the pleasures of wine and feasting,

to allure a greater number of proselytes.

When wine, lascivious discourse, night,

and the intercourse of the sexes had extinguished

every sentiment of modesty, then debaucheries of every kind

began to be practiced, as every person found at hand

that sort of enjoyment to which he was disposed by the passion

predominant in his nature, nor were they

confined to one species of vice.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

OK, you knew we were going to get to Caligula,

so here's how he used to throw his parties.

To paint the picture, Caligula was pretty much

considered to be an embarrassment, Rome's

horny little problem.

Before something could be done about him,

though, the Roman people had to put up with his antics.

So when Caligula wanted to throw a party,

he would turn one of his marble-floored villas

into his own Roman version of Studio 54.

Then he'd round up literally hundreds

of strangers of all social classes

and then ply them with food and wine.

While all this was happening, musicians

would play music to get everyone in the mood

while male and female sex workers mingled

among the guests.

But what he really enjoyed were his dinner parties

for married couples, which they were forced to attend.

During these events, Caligula would steal the wives

away to secret rooms for a quick in and out,

whether the wife was into it or not.

Then he'd return to the party and share the details

of the tryst with his guests.

Of course, this wasn't emblematic of Roman parties

overall, but it did happen from time to time.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

While Caligula usually gets credit

for being the raunchiest Roman emperor ever,

he wasn't the only one who got his deviant jollies off while

on the job.

When Tiberius retired, for instance,

he had a De Villa Jovi's on the island of Capri

for unmentionable debauchery.

Let's just say Tiberius had an erotic library filled

with fully illustrated books on sexual positions

and activities, just in case one of the sex nymphs

should need an illustration of what was required.

And then there was Nero, who always loved a good time.

He hosted orgies at his palace he called the Domus Aurea.

It featured complex bathhouses, roaming

exotic animals, a rotating dining room,

and a 120-foot bronze statue of himself.

So an ancient Roman party was more than just a meal

with smart conversation and live entertainment,

it was a calculated spectacle that

was designed to show off the host's wealth, status,

and sophistication.

The goal was always to outdo the lavish parties

of his important friends and esteemed colleagues.

So what do you think, would you like to party with the Romans?

Let us know in the comments below.

And while you're at it, check out some of these other videos

from our Weird History.