What Were The Infamous Roman Vomitoriums?
Debunking a persistent myth about ancient Rome
There is an scene of Roman decadance that has been making the rounds since the Renaissance that is the perfect picture of gluttony and waste. In this scene, wealthy Romans gather together for a great feast. They are served by slaves. They are overweight and decked in fine togas. At the feast, Rome’s wealthiest citizens gather and eat until they are full. Then they keep eating. And drinking. And eating. And drinking. Until they literally make themselves sick.
Then, in an ultimate act of selfish indulgence, the overstuffed Romans stumble out to a special area where they all collectively vomit so they can go back in and keep eating. The area where this ritualistic vomiting takes place was called a vomitorium, or at least, that is what we are meant to believe.
It turns out that this entire scene is a fabrication. The image of Romans puking their guts out so they could keep eating rich foods while the masses starved was a Renaissance invention. There is no evidence of such chambers designed for vomiting, and there is no reason that a well-heeled Roman would keep eating after they were full.
These images became fanciful as Europeans rediscovered ancient Rome after the Medieval Period. The real decadence of Rome was enhanced…
