Explanation: The term comes from Greek - 'One who eats with others'. Romans were an immensely public people, and anyone who was anyone had dinner parties with incredible regularity - one would need a few contacts, so as to always have a few entertaining guests for the important folk you want to impress! If you were a little witty and a little willing to endure some jokes at your expense, you could - if not necessarily make a living of it - at least make a good number of your monthly meals for free at the tables of the upper-class!