Petronius: Satires and the Book of Priapeia

HL tray held the twelve signs of the Zodiac arranged in a circle, upon which the architect the cook/food designer had placed food appropriate and corresponding to the material: over the Ram, chickpeas; over the Bull, a piece of beef; over the Twins, testicles and kidneys; over the Crab, a crown; over the Lion, an African fig; over the Virgin, a sow’s womb; over the Scales, a balance scales on one side of which was a tart, on the other a cheesecake; over the Scorpion, a small sea fish; over the Archer, a field-cuckoo; over the Capricorn, a sea lobster; over the Aquarius, a goose; over the two Fish, mullets. In the middle, a turf cut with herbs supported a honeycomb. An Egyptian boy carried bread around in a silver oven and even sang a song about the Laserpicium-mimic Laserpiciario mimo a play or performance involving the pungent herb laserpicium in a most hideous voice. As we approached such vile food feeling rather sad, 36 "I suggest," said Trimalchio, "we dine; this is the main course of the dinner." As he said this, four dancers rushed in to the music and removed the upper part of the tray. Which being done, we see below [presumably on another dish] fattened chickens and sow-udders, and a hare in the middle adorned with wings, so that it might look like Pegasus. We also noted around the corners of the tray four Marsyas figures, from whose little wineskins peppered fish-sauce garum fermented fish-sauce ran over the fish, which were swimming as if in an artificial canal. We all give a round of applause initiated by the household and, laughing, attack the choice delicacies. No less pleased by this method, Trimalchio said, "Carve." A carver immediately came forward and, gesticulating to the music, tore apart the meat in such a way that you would think a charioteer was fighting to the music of a water-organ. Trimalchio nevertheless kept insisting in a very slow voice: "Carve, Carve." Suspecting that the word, repeated so often, related to some joke, I did not blush to ask the man who was reclining above me about this very thing. But he, who had often watched such games, said: "You see him who is carving the meat: he is called Carpus a play on the Greek/Latin word for 'carve'. Therefore, as often as he says 'Carve,' he is calling him and commanding him by the same word."

37 I could not taste anything more, but turning to him, so that I might gather as much as possible, I began to draw out stories from afar and to inquire who that woman was who was running here and there. "Trimalchio's wife," he said, "she is called Fortunata, who measures money by the bushel. And just now, just now what was she? Your genius will forgive me, you would not have wanted to take bread from her hand. Now, for no reason at all, she has soared to heaven and is Trimalchio's everything."