Cena on a Roman fresco
Commisatio was the last part of the Roman feast (cena). At that time, the revelers consumed large amounts of wine, which was accompanied (similar to the Greek symposium) by discussions and reflections.
Roman “parties” usually lasted until late at night, and even in the morning, and took the form of a libation. It should be noted, however, that the order of commisatio was kept by some rex bibendi, meaning “king of the feast”. It was usually the host or a person chosen by the diners.
The task of the chairman of the event was to decide on the measures of wine and water. In addition, he had to ensure that none of the revelers ran out of wine in the cup.
Sources
- Bardel Michał, Wielkie żarcie w oczach Petroniusza, czyli o rzymskich zbytkach w dziedzinie jedzenia i picia, "Misięcznik ZNAK", 10.2007
