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Birthday Celebrations in the 16th Century Detailed Show Notes
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The Greeks are credited with the origin of the idea of a birthday celebration, as they were known to celebrate the birthdays of their gods. Romans followed suit, and expanded the tradition to include non-religious celebrations as well. Title page of the 1498 edition of the Apicius cookery book, unknown details on the photo | Source Apicius manuscript, New York Academy of Medicine: contents of book 1 (left), first page of text (right) | Public Domain | Source This book is translated into English and made available online by Project Gutenberg. In the 4th century, a writer named Apicius (though historians debate which man named Apicius from this time period is the one who wrote this book), wrote a book called "On the Culinary Arts" in which he outlines the recipe for honey cakes. These Roman cakes were similar to the confections that would have been prepared to honor birthday celebrations in the 4th century. Apicius, De Opsoniis et Condimentis (Amsterdam: J. Waesbergios), 1709. Limited to 100 copies (KSU owns four).| Public Domain | Source "Roman-style birthday cakes were used to celebrate a man's 50th birthday - although he had to be well-known and a citizen. The cakes were made out of flour, honey, nuts, yeast, and cheese. Roman gourmet Apicius (1st century CE) collected recipes in his De Re Coquinaria - a cookbook of sorts - that includes recipes for sweet treats. One of his cake-like recipes is as follows: Crush pepper, nuts, honey, rue [herb of grace], and raisin wine with milk, and cook the mixture with few eggs well worked in, cover with honey, sprinkle with crushed nuts, etc. and serve." (Source : "11 Facts About The History Of Popular Birthday Traditions That Take The Cake" by Melissa Sartore, January 24, 2025 | Accessed March 27, 2025) This tradition was, arguably, a precursor to the modern day birthday cake, but the honey cake---as well as the marking of a birthday---being so specifically associated with Rome, might be an explanation for why Shakespeare's two of three total references to the phrase "Birth-day", appear in his Roman plays: Antony and Cleopatra, along with Julius Ceasar. That's an interesting question, though, because Cleopatra, as far as I am able to find, has no known birth date, historically speaking. We know she was born in 69 (or possibly 70) BC, but we don't know the month or day. That means that it is a huge anachronism for Cleopatra to be talking about her birth-day in Act III of Antony and Cleopatra: It is my birth-day:I had thought to have held it poor: but, since my lordIs Antony again, I will be Cleopatra. Cleopatra, 1526, prentmaker: Allaert Claesz | Rijskmuseum | Public Domain | Source To me, the fact that this reference is such a glaring anachronism makes it seem less like the phrase is a reflection of Roman culture, and instead that the mention is a reflection of Elizabethan Culture when Shakespeare was writing the play. It's my contention that the...
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