Adults loved wine and drank it a lot. Only children and babies drank milk. The cups used for wine were metal but guests liked the wine better when it was in glass cups. Most of the dishes were made from bronze or copper and some people were poisoned from these metal
Depending on how rich the Roman host was or what he liked, for entertainment he would hire people that were singers, dancers, musicians, or comedians. Some of the entertainers were educated slaves. The host chose other kinds of entertainment that he wanted. Poetry and speeches were read. Jugglers and even storytellers amused the guests far into the night. The topics for conversation were mostly philosophy, literature, and sports. The guests didn't talk about politics because it was a dangerous thing to do.
The Romans didn't have the same ideas about manners as we do. They thought that burping was polite. Since wine was the main drink at the cena, the people often drank a lot and got rowdy and fought. Some of the hosts wrote, "If you can't be friendly, then go away," on the walls of the triclinium where the guests would be sure to read them. If plebeians came, they brought napkins to take the leftovers home to sell.
Even though the Ancient Romans' food and way of eating was different than today, we still have similar things. Dining was an event that will tell us about daily life in Ancient Rome and will always be important.
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