Daily life · Roman Empire Daily
At a formal Roman dinner, guests didn't sit. They reclined on couches around the table.
Deep dive
The dining room, or triclinium, was named for its three couches. Reclining to eat was a mark of leisure and status, with diners propped on the left elbow.
Source: Standard surveys; cf. Petronius, 'Satyricon' (the dinner of Trimalchio).
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