How to Host an Ancient Roman Murder

Some people find it easier not to play the game as one of the characters, but to play another character altogether. You could wear the appropriate costume and play the part of, for example, the trusty family slave, a role which gives you ample opportunity to serve the food, take away used dishes, change the background music and to make sure the guests don't get bogged down in an obscure detail of the plot.

You can do this with great fun and much gusto if you insist on tasting the food served to the guests or, when you see the game stuck on a trivial clue, move over and whisper something in the ear of a guest while you ostensibly pour more wine or fan a heated face.

I prefer to play a character myself. I want to be in the game as well. The chance to over act when prompted by other guests is too good to miss.

* First, read through the game notes and familiarise yourself with the 'flow' of the game.

* Keep the game moving along, watch your guests and gently guide them to keeping on track if they get off course.

You can go the whole hog and hire yourself a gorgeous ancient Roman (or ancient Greek) outfit. Or keep it simple and let your guests know to dress in readily available clothes which are appropriate attire for an evening out in Ancient Rome.

When you send the invitations, include a hand-written note on costume.

Roman women wore tunica and a loose stola over the top. There were two types of tunic, both adapted from Greek fashion.

The peplos was made from two rectangular pieces of cloth partially sewn together on both sides with the open sections at the top folded down in the front and back. It was pulled over the head and fastened with two large pins, forming a sleeveless dress. A belt was then tied over or under the folds.

More commonly, women wore a Greek-style chiton. This garment has sleeves and is made from two wide pieces of cloth sewn together near the top. Then it's pulled over the head and fastened with several pins or brooches. A belt is worn under the breasts, at the waist, or at the hips.

Married women were also required to wear the stola. This is a long sleeveless tunic, strapped at the shoulder, gathered in and tied at the waist.

Photo : Modern Fashion based on Ancient Rome from Vera Wang.

To dress as a Roman lady, start with a basic draped gown. Wear anything long and loose and tie ribbons, or a sash, around your waist.

You will need a shawl, or a large rectangle of fabric to wrap over your gown and delicate sandals with thin soles or ballet slippers.

Wear rings on many fingers, dangly ear-rings, bangles and as many arm bracelets as will fit. The wealthy ancient Romans wore most extravagant jewels.

If your hair is long, put it up loosely, leaving tendrils around the face and neck. If your hair is short, wear ribbons and gold or silver braid.

Don't forget to wear bright eye makeup.

Make a peplos from two pieces of fabric. You may be able to pick up a length from a fabric shop, or you can use an old sheet.

A much looser garment but still easy enough to make. This one is held on each shoulder by 4 brooches.

You can just use 2 pieces of fabric sewn together at the top and belted round the middle as long as you wear some under-garments. A tank top and shorts are enough where I live, but you may need a long sleeved spenser (a lacey or embroidered spenser) and tights if the weather is colder.

Either raid the household linen press for a white sheet or buy 3 yards of cotton or poplin.

Wear a white Tee or a sleeveless tank.

Hold the length horizontally, and wrap the material around your waist.

Pin it with safety pins.

Throw the rest of the fabric over either shoulder.

Bring the fabric back to your waist and tuck it in, either with a belt, or coloured sash, and pin it again.

Adjust the material to suit.

Cloaks and Stoles : For women, the pulla was a sort of shawl to throw over the whole figure, and to be worn out of doors. Any large shawl or stole will do.

Foot-gear : Wear either sandals or slippers. The calceus was a sandal like shoe strapped to the foot, mainly for internal wear. The soleae was a full shoe completely enclosing the foot, much more similar to the modern shoe. Leather was by far the most common material and could be easily dyed to reflect position such as red shoes for patricians.

Jewellery : Lots! Bedeck yourself with baubles, bangles and beads... the more the merrier for men and women. The ancient Roman women loved ornate necklaces, pins, earrings, bracelets and friendship rings. Pearls were favorites.

Women often dyed their hair, usually golden-red and used false hairpieces to make their hair thicker or longer. Sometimes, Roman women wore their hair up, in carefully arranged styles, held with jeweled hairpins. Sometimes they wore it down, curled in ringlets. Parasols were used, or women might carry fans made of peacock feathers, wood or stretched linen.

Head Coverings : Wreathes for men and an optional veil for women.

The ancient Roman dinner ("cena") was tied to the hour of sunset with the whole family present to enjoy an abundant meal.

For the purpose of Hosting your Roman Murder party, assume that you are feeding your guests their Cena, no matter what time of the day it is.

The dining room, the triclinium, was splendidly decorated and furnished with marble, mosaic, frescoes, fountains, fish tanks, silver inlay tables and all manner of beautiful soft furnishings.

In the triclinium, one entered with their right foot and sat at their usual place, a 3 person bed for eating while lying down. But you don't have to provide couches for your guests, in ancient Rome the common people ate sitting, on stools or wooden chairs, just like the Greeks did. Take my word for it, after a while it becomes difficult to eat and drink while reclining :)

With 8 people to feed (or 9 if you aren't one of the characters) it's easier to have a long buffet table with the food on it against a wall, and comfy chairs for the diners. Or have everyone seated around a large table. Keep in mind that this party will go on for some hours so guests have to be comfortable.

Look for cheap plastic tablecloths in bright colours like purple and crimson. Gold crepe paper can be tacked around walls, and place any statuary or suitable prints you have around the room. Decorate with any potplants you have, bring them from outside if necessary, and have vases of flowers wherever they will fit. You are making your room look as exotic as possible.

Whatever you do, remember this is supposed to be fun! Don't knock yourself out hanging over a hot stove. Any meal would do and there's plenty of choices for the menu from food which we still eat today. The trick is to call it by a Roman name.

1. Gustatio, for starters.
Lay out on your table bowls of salads, olives, oysters, braised mushrooms, sliced cucumber with melon and hard-boiled eggs.

2. Caput Cenae. The main course
Pork Sausages. The most popular type of sausage was the lucanica, a short, fat, rustic pork sausage, the recipe for which is still used today in several modern sausages including the Portuguese and Brazilian linguiça, the Greek loukaniko, the Spanish longaniza, and the Italian luganega. If you can't get these, any spicy pork sausage will do.

Roast Pork and/or Roast, braised or poached duck

3. Dessert
Any grapes (have lots of grapes), figs, dates,apricots, peaches, cherries or plums. Cheesecake was as popular in ancient Rome as it is today.

200g fresh or dried dates
50g coarsely crushed nuts (any variety)
pinch of salt
red wine with a little honey (enough to stew)

Take the stones out of the dates and fill them with nuts. Sprinkle a bit of salt on the filled dates and stew them in the honey-sweetened red wine. The dates have to be cooked in on low heat until their paring starts to come off (approximately 5-10 minutes).

Roman wine is pretty heavy for modern drinkers.

Both the red wine 'vinum atrum' and white wine 'vinum candidum' were a lot more acidic and cloudy than those we buy today. For this reason they were usually filtered then diluted with warm or cold water, and even snow in winter, to reduce the high alcohol level. The wines were also served with such added ingredients as honey, wild herbs, palm oil and saffron.

Among the most prized wines were 'Falerno' from Campania and 'Sezze' from Lazio, and the roughest were almost always the 'Veietano' from Etruria and always served first at banquets. These days, Etruria produces some of Italy's best wines, from Brunello di Montalcino to Vernaccia from San Gimignano.

Campania had lush vineyards because of the volcanic soil courtesy of Mount Vesuvius. It was Vesuvius which erupted and destroyed Pompeii

For your guests, you could serve Mulsum, a honeyed wine (add your own honey)or just buy a few bottles of nice rich red. Any red wine will do.

Beer was regarded as a barbarian drink but your guests may have exotic tastes. Mead is available in some countries, check if there is any at your local liquor outlet.

From the company that opened up the world's backyards to internet scrutiny comes a new gimmick that creates a portal back in time to the marble-lined streets of Ancient Rome.

Google Earth has released a 3D, interactive map of the ancient city, providing a detailed view of the streets and building interiors as they were in Rome on June 21, 320.

Google Earth's Ancient Rome