From Historia Augusta : The Life of Lucius Verus

 

“One such banquet, indeed, became very notorious. This was the first banquet, it is said, at which couches were placed for twelve, although there is a very well-known saying about the proper number of those present at a banquet that “seven make a dinner, nine make a din”. Furthermore, the comely lads who did the serving were given as presents, one to each guest; carvers and platters, too, were presented to each, and also live animals either tame or wild, winged or quadruped, of whatever kind were the meats that were served, and even goblets of murra or of Alexandrine crystal were presented to each man for each drink, as often as they drank. Besides this, he gave golden and silver and even jeweled cups, and garlands, too, entwined with golden ribbons and flowers out of season, golden vases with ointments made in the shape of perfume-boxes,  and even carriages, together with mules and muleteers, and trappings of silver, wherewith they might return home from the banquet.  The estimated cost of the whole banquet, it is reported, was six million sesterces. And when Marcus heard of this dinner, they say, he groaned and bewailed the fate of the empire.  After the banquet, moreover, they diced until dawn. And all this was done after the Parthian war, whither Marcus had sent him, it is said, either that he might commit his debaucheries away from the city and the eyes of all citizens, or that he might learn economy by his travels, or that he might return reformed through the fear inspired by war, or, finally, that he might come to realize that he was an emperor. But how much good all this did is shown not only by the rest of his life, but also by this banquet of which we have just told.”

 

P.S, Interesting Wiki Page about dating problems etc with Historia Augusta.

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AUGUSTAN HISTORY