Explanation: Rome was a very story-oriented culture, but not necessarily in the same way later literary cultures were. While reading is associated with silence in many later European cultures, as part of the wider monastic and religious tradition of Christian contemplation integrated into even processing secular literature, the Romans were all about reading aloud. Fancy dinner parties often included a younger relative showing their skill at recitation - or a specialized slave with the same skill (less prestigious, but just as fun for the listeners) - reciting lines from poetry or literature while the guests ate. The equivalent of putting on a movie during dinner!