Triclinium

The triclinium ( pl. triclinia ) was a stone or wooden dreiliegiges dining sofa in antiquity. Especially in ancient Greece and the Roman Empire there was widespread. According to him, but was also the antique dining room where three individual klinai or triclinia were erected, called triclinium.

The dining sofa

The frame of the wooden dining couches was covered with belts on which were upholstered. At each place was a pillow on which you propped himself with his left arm. The legs of the furniture could be turned on the lathe. For the decoration of the dining couches were metal fittings and inlays. On a dining couch found up to three people, while the abstützten there with his left hand, while they attacked with his right hand for food and drink. This was possible because eating less cutlery was used as today. They ate on the dining couch with your hands or with a spoon and basically lying in semi position.

The dining room

In the Roman Empire consisted of three dining dining room sofas ( klinai ), which were arranged like a horseshoe around the table ( mensa ). Thus, the ideal feast was in the Roman Empire from nine people. In ancient Greece, these numerical expression was not widespread. A seating arrangement for the Roman triclinium (see scheme) is described in detail passed down through the ancient author Plutarch. There were then two places of honor, who were the host and a guest of honor reserved. The wife and a child could sit on the sofa of the master of the house space.

In the early days of the Roman Empire, only men were allowed to take on the triclinia place, while women participated on chairs in the meal ( cena ). Throughout history, the Romans, however, the Etruscan custom fit to, in which women and men were equal.

Other forms of edible sofa and dining

In addition to the triclinium came in the Roman Empire also semi-circular ( sigmoidal ) dining couches. Pictures of meals to these couches are found for example in the Roman catacombs. The places of honor were at the outer ends.