Why would this be unrealistic?

Ancient roman texts and artistic representations feature lavish meals for wealthy families, like the Octavii. Why wouldn't the kitchen make lavish meals just for the sake of variety, especially when food (and its variety) was often used as a sign of status in Rome (and other periods).

Just wondering as this doesn't strike me as odd in the least.

sources:

• AGE, GENDER, AND STATUS DIVISIONS AT MEALTIME IN THE ROMAN HOUSE: a synopsis of the literary evidence
• References 58, 59 and 60 in particular point out some of this, but the text as a whole paints a broader picture
• Pompeii exhibition: the food and drink of the ancient Roman cities
• Dormice, ostrich meat and fresh fish: the surprising foods eaten in ancient Rome
• Most Ancient Romans Ate Millet

Also, while not a preferred source, Wikipedia's entry on Food and Dining in the Roman Empire is quite extensive on this topic and the many functions of food including to impress and distinguish social standing.

Would it be possible for you to link the specific scene, or give us an episode name. It's possible that the dishes offered were non-perishable, so it wouldn't be a complete waste

If you're looking for cookbooks, Apicius is the only real source:

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/home.html

However for the rest of the question . . . I don't know how that could possibly be sourced to any real degree without knowing the exact size of the household. A smaller household by rule of scale would have less people to consume unwanted items, while in a large household there's zero chance it'll go to waste.

Stews are perfect to just keep going all day since, in a large household, there's going to be people coming in who could reasonably expect to be fed by the family. Goose is already state in the episode as being a stew and Apicius has two recipes for sea urchins. One way is stewing them, the other isn't.

Hello! Ancient History and Classics student here.... basically a lot of the dishes which would be served on a day to day basis would be ones which were easily prepared or pre-prepared in the pantry. the sea urchins for instance would already have been either pickled or salted so as to ensure that it would not be wasted in case the family were at dinner parties at last minute. Normally the Roman house wives role within the household would be to run the entire household, finances, shopping lists and so on. Then if of a high enough social status, she would instruct her slaves to cook and clean while she lounged around. In the example of HBO's Rome, they tend to ignore that side of the Roman woman's life, meaning that she would normally have told them what to cook, not had to ask... i hope that helps!

Hi, everyone,

We've had to remove a large number of comments in this thread that debate interpretations of the TV show Rome. Please confine your answers to discussions of...actual Rome.

Thanks!