78 / 308
78
OUR
ANCESTORS.
with
the
luxuries
of
the
table,
and
furnished
them
with
cooks,
bakers
and
confectioners
in
the
persons
of
slaves
who
were
sold
at
high
prices.
Thenceforth
gastronomy
became
a
study,
and
the
ordering
and
pre-
paration
of
a
dinner
a
science
and
an
art.
The
Re-
public
had
already
had
a
Lucullus,
whose
name
ever
after
was
associated
with
sumptuous
repasts;
but
the
gastronomic
art,
for
which
he
was
so
renowned,
did
not
attain
its
perfection
and
glory
until
imperial
times.
Then,
when
Rome
had
extended
her
sway
over
the
whole
world,
the
expansion
of
trade
and
intercourse
brought
the
dainties
of
all
lands
to
the
capital;
the
farthest
East,
and
the
farthest
West,
the
delicacies
of
India,
the
spices
of
Arabia,
the
fish
and
shell-fish
of
the
Atlantic,
the
game
of
Gaul
and
Germany,
and
the
dates
of
the
oases,
all
met
in
the
Roman
kitchen.
The
Em-
peror
Vitellius,
perhaps
the
most
enormous
eater
that
the
Empire
ever
knew,
sent
out
his
legions
to
hunt
game
where
it
was
found
in
the
highest
perfection,
and
employed
his
fleets
in
furnishing
his
table
with
fresh
fish.
So
many
arms
were
set
in
motion
by
a
single
stomach
!
At
this
time
it
was
that
all
the
breeding
and
fattening
establishments
were
erected.
Remark-
ably
large
or
fine
fish
were
bought
by
wealthy
gour-
mands
at
fabulous
prices,
as
many
anecdotes
tell
us,
but
probably
more
for
the
sake
of
notoriety
than
any-
thing
else.
Fish,
oysters,
snails,
mussels
and
other
shell-fish,
of
which
the
Roman
kitchen
boasted
a
greater
variety