A talk by Dr Paul Roberts, Research Keeper of Antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford

For the Romans, some of life’s most pleasurable moments were spent getting together to eat and drink, in a pub, in a simple flat or at a banquet in a triclinium or grand dining room. Last supper in Pompeii, based on the very successful exhibition in the Ashmolean Museum (2019-20) celebrates the Roman love affair with food and wine,

In Pompeii we see farms and vineyards, then the city with its bustling shops, bars and markets – and tombs…Then we enter the home, with its grand reception rooms, lovely garden and rich dining room, savouring exotic food and fine wine, surrounded by Greek-style luxury;. But don’t go in the kitchen…!

We also look at far-flung Britannia to see how Roman food and customs caught on, from the arrival of chickens and cherries, and the industrialisation of British beer, to Brits feasting in the afterlife, like all good Romans.

As our bony friend in the mosaic might say, carpe diem  – seize the day!!

Image: Mosaic showing a grinning skeleton holding wine jugs.  Naples Museum 9978  Pompeii, AD 30-79 Copyright MANN