Funerary Meals for the Living
The clear majority of different types of tombstone scenes in which the only the deceased is dining are pagan but a broader category of banqueting scenes can be found in both pagan and Christian funerary monuments. The convivial type of banqueting scenes which portray a larger group of diners, normally seven in number, are prevalent in both religion’s funerary art. A wall painting from the Christian catacomb of Marcellinus and Peter portrays one of these types of gatherings. Diners are seated around a stibadium and the table is set with food and a wine cup. The inscription also gives the names of the two serving women; Irene and Agape. The convivial banqueting images have been interpreted several ways including as scenes of the deceased’s life, their afterlife or as depictions of contemporary funereal customs (ibid, 111).
After burial, obsequies included a number of events which necessitated family participation. Pagan funerary rituals began with a sacrifice of a sow next to the tomb or the grave of the deceased on the day of the funeral. The sacrifice was then cooked and became a meal which was eaten by the family of the deceased. On the eighth day after the funeral, the sacrifice to the Manes was performed which included the sacrifice being completely consumed by the fire and because of this there was no meal associated with the sacrifice. A meal, with no apparent set date, ended the funerary rituals and it is suggested by Eric Rebillard that this meal served “to separate the dead from the living” as this meal was not burned completely and was instead eaten by the family (Rebillard 270, 2015).
There were numerous occasions on which dining was the main form of celebration for the deceased. Meals could be planned on the decedent’s birthday and during the Parentalia, February 13th, which was the festival for the commemoration of ancestors (Rebillard 271, 2015; Jensen 2008, 118). The Feralia, eight days later on February 21st, included a sacrifice to the Manes and a graveside banquet. The Caristia occurred the following day and was marked by a banquet in the home (Rebillard 271, 2015).
Very little evidence has been uncovered that shows the composition of commemoration meals for the dead. What evidence there is points to the inclusion of fish, pork, fowl, beef, loaves of bread, wine and oil (Jensen 117, 2015). These meals could be pious observations which venerated the dead but they could also be less solemn affairs and devolve into mere celebrations when enough wine and food were offered. Some of these meals were often taken graveside and many graves had structures which were meant to facilitate this. Common areas, as well as family mausoleums, often had permanent tables built nearby or incorporated into the mausoleum. Some dining grave goods served the dual purpose of being left for the dead and used by the living during graveside meals (ibid 118) A masonry base in Tipasa, Algeria from the 4th or 5th century between two tombs, is hypothesized to have functioned as a place on which to offer food to the dead and a place which living would have dined (Rebillard 276, 2015).