, Stibadia e convivia. Strutture, suppellettili e rappresentazioni del banchetto tardoantico

In recent years, the increasing number of studies on late antique housing together with the greater attention devoted to the publication of ceramic, metal and glass goods, as well as the review of the stratigraphy of some contexts allowed us to acquire interesting new data on many significant aspects of the Late Antique banquet. The convivium was a reserved, formal and strongly hierarchic moment, and an indicator of the social, cultural and patrimonial prestige of the aristocracies. On the other side, less attention was given so far to the ‘material’ aspects of the banquet, as for instance the types of containers used, the different function of furnishings, lighting devices, etc. Building upon the case of Faragola and some other recent discoveries, and thanks to an integrated analysis of archaeological evidences, literary sources and iconography, this paper offers new interpretative ideas, tackling many issues: the evolution of convivial practices, the recurring presence of some artifacts, the role assigned to some dishes in the design of the table services, the organization of space, the meaning of some functional devices, the use of water and lighting, and the language of the decorative equipment.