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Step 1
bachus playing the pipesChoose Music.
To be authentic, play music by Synaulia a group dedicated to re-creating music from notation that survives from ancient Rome. You can listen on youtube. I've added a link in the resources below.
Romans loved Greek culture, and at the time music was highly regarded in Greece. Many songs have survived from the period on papyrus. Under resources, there's a link to the Song of Seikilos. From there you could fill a whole evening listening to other songs in the related videos section. -
Step 2
Choose Drinks
The obvious choice is wine. To add an authentic period twist, try mixing it with honey to make mulsum. Just don't get out the wine glasses. At the time glass was very expensive, and the only glasses were tiny goblets. Wine was generally served in earthenware. In Rome, iced drinks were a status item. The ice available was snow stored over the summer in deep pits. For a non-alcoholic drink, try grape juice over crushed ice. -
Step 3
Choose the Menu.
Believe it or not a cook book has survived from Roman times, DE RE COQUINARIA, by Marcus Gavius Apicius. There's a link under resources below to a partial English translation. If you speak Latin, the full text is on gutenberg.org. Take a look, and pick something that looks good. Bread should be made with spelt flour. Modern wheat wasn't in cultivation yet. -
Step 4
The coloseumChoose the Setting.
Men ate lying on couches on their left side. Roman couches were basically a day bed with a low pillow or arm on one or both ends. Each person would have their own low table, or all heads would be oriented towards a center table. Early in the empire women ate sitting up, but began to recline later. In the modern day, don't try to tell the women they can't lie down. Eating outside in warm weather was popular. If you don't have enough couches, or a good setting, make it a picnic. -
Step 5
TogaGet Dressed.
If you're guest list is game, dress for the period. Bring out the tunics and togas. Of course you can go with the bed sheet togas for simplicity, but if you want to be Authentic, a link to a site about dress is included below.
