McWilliams/Food Rules, 10. The Roman Napkin: From Simple Tools to Status Symbols

Napkins appear several times throughout Roman literature. While they are often mentioned in passing, napkins are occasionally the focus of poems by authors including Catullus and Martial. Through examining the literature of the time, this paper outlines rules of etiquette surrounding napkin use in Rome while examining their multiple roles in society as essential tools, status symbols, objects of sentimentality, and targets of theft.