The Roman meal unfolded in three courses: the gustatio (appetizers of eggs, olives, and vegetables), the prima mensa (the main course: bread, legumes, fish), and the secunda mensa (fruits and sweets). Among the modest Christians of Trastevere, far from the grand pagan banquets, the table remained frugal and sometimes extended into the agape, the fraternal meal shared after prayer, where they broke bread together.

Like every Roman, Clement seasoned his food with garum—that pungent fermented fish sauce—and olive oil, which pervaded all Mediterranean cuisine. But the shared bread and water mixed with wine were the true signatures of his community.