I.“Casmena for Camena,” Fest. p. 205, 15 Müll.), ae, f. Sanscr. khad-, eat; Umbr. çes-na; cf. Gr. κνίζω, the principal meal of the Romans in the early period, taken about midday, dinner, supper (Paul. ex Fest. p. 54, 4; Fest. p. 338, 4 and 368, 8 Müll.); subsequently, the prandium was taken at noon, and the cena was usually begun about the 9th hour, i. e. at 3 o'clock P. M. (v. Dict. of Antiq. s. v. coena; cf.: prandium, jentaculum): cena apud antiquos dicebatur quod nunc est prandium. Vesperna, quam nunc cenam appellamus, Paul. ex Fest. l. l.; Cic. Fam. 9, 26, 1; Mart. 4, 8, 6; Plin. Ep. 3, 1; “to begin sooner was an indication of gluttony,” Plin. Pan. 49, 6.
(α).
With substt.: “cenarum ars,” Hor. S. 2, 4, 35: “caput cenae,” Cic. Fin. 2, 8, 25; cf.: “mullus cenae caput,” Mart. 10, 31, 4: “ejus cenae fundus et fundamentum omne erat aula una lentis Aegyptiae,” Gell. 17, 8, 1: genus cenae sollemne, viaticum, adventicium, geniale, Philarg. ad Verg. E. 5, 74: “honos cenae,” Suet. Vesp. 2: “inpensae cenarum,” Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 38: “cenarum magister,” Mart. 12, 48, 15: “ordo cenae,” Petr. 92: “cenae pater,” Hor. S. 2, 8, 7: “o noctes cenaeque deūm!” id. ib. 2, 6, 65: “mero Pontificum potiore cenis,” id. C. 2, 14, 28: “Thyestae,” id. A. P. 91.—
(β).
With adjj.: “abundantissima,” Suet. Ner. 42: “aditialis,” Varr. R. R. 3, 6, 6; Sen. Ep. 95, 41: “sumptuosa,” id. ib. 95, 41: “adventicia,” Suet. Vit. 13: “quorum omnis vigilandi labor in antelucanis cenis expromitur,” i. e. lasting all night, Cic. Cat. 2, 10, 22: “auguralis,” id. Fam. 7, 26, 2: “amplior,” Juv. 14, 170: “bona atque magna,” Cat. 13, 3: “brevis,” Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 35: “Cerialis,” Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 25: “dubia,” Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 28; Hor. S. 2, 2, 77: “ebria,” Plaut. Cas. 3, 6, 31: “grandes,” Quint. 10, 1, 58: “lautissima,” Plin. Ep. 9, 17, 1: “libera,” open table, Petr. 26: “multa de magnā fercula cenā,” Hor. S. 2, 6, 104: “munda,” id. C. 3, 29, 15: “cena non minus nitida quam frugi,” Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 9: sororia, nuptialis. Plaut. Curc. 5, 2, 60 sq.: Suet. Calig. 25: “opimae,” Hor. S. 2, 7, 103: “popularem quam vocant,” Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 69: “prior,” i. e. a previous invitation, Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 27: “publicae,” Suet. Ner. 16: “recta,” id. Dom. 7; Mart. 2, 69, 7; 7, 19, 2: “Saliares,” App. M. 4, p. 152, 30: “sollemnes,” Suet. Tib. 34: “subita,” Sen. Thyest. 800; Suet. Claud. 21: “terrestris,” of vegetables, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 86: “varia,” Hor. S. 2, 6, 86: “viatica,” Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 61.—
(γ).
With verbs: “quid ego istius prandia, cenas commemorem?” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 19, § 49; Suet. Vit. 13: “cenam apparare,” Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 74: “curare,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 3, 37: “coquere,” id. Aul. 2, 7, 3; id. Cas. 3, 6, 28; 4, 1, 8; 4, 2, 2; id. Rud. 4, 7, 38 al.; Nep. Cim. 4, 3: “cenas facere,” Cic. Att. 9, 13, 6; cf. id. Fam. 9, 24, 2 sq.: “anteponere,” Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 25: committere maturo ovo, Varr. ap. Non. p. 249, 8: “praebere ternis ferculis,” Suet. Aug. 74: “ducere,” to prolong, Hor. A. P. 376: “ministrare,” id. S. 1, 6, 116: “producere,” id. ib. 1, 5, 70: “apponere,” Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 28; Suet. Galb. 12: “deesse cenae,” Quint. 7, 3, 31: “instruere pomis et oleribus,” Gell. 2, 24 al.: “cenam dare alicui,” Plaut. Capt. 4, 4, 2; 3, 1, 34; Cic. Fam. 9, 20, 2: “cenae adhibere aliquem,” Quint. 11, 2, 12; Plin. Ep. 6, 31, 13; Suet. Caes. 73; id. Aug. 74; id. Claud. 32; id. Calig. 25; id. Tit. 9: “Taurus accipiebat nos Athenis cenā,” Gell. 17, 8, 1: “cenam cenavi tuam,” Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 24: “obire cenas,” Cic. Att. 9, 13, 6: cenam condicere alicui, to engage one's self to any one as a guest, promise to be one's guest, Suet. Tib. 42.—
(δ).
With prepp.: “ante cenam,” Cato, R. R. 114; 115, 1: “inter cenam,” at table, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 6, § 19; id. Fragm. ap. Quint. 9, 3, 58; id. Phil. 2, 25, 63; Quint. 6, 3, 10; Suet. Galb. 22; id. Aug. 71; “in this sense in Suet. several times: super cenam,” Suet. Aug. 77; id. Tib. 56; id. Ner. 42; id. Vit. 12; id. Vesp. 22; id. Tit. 8; id. Dom. 21: “post cenam,” Quint. 1, 10, 19.—（ε) With substt. and prepp.: “aliquem Abduxi ad cenam,” Ter. Heaut. 1, 2, 9; Cic. Tusc. 5, 32, 91: “aliquem ad cenam aliquo condicam foras,” Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 18; id. Stich. 3, 1, 38: “holera et pisciculos ferre in cenam seni,” Ter. And. 2, 2, 32: “fit aliquid in cenam,” is preparing, Val. Max. 8, 1, 8: “ire ad cenam,” Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 6: “venire ad cenam,” Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 6, § 19; Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 61: “itare ad cenas,” Cic. Fam. 9, 24, 2: “invitare ad cenam,” id. ib. 7, 9, 3; Quint. 7, 3, 33; Suet. Claud. 4: “venire ad cenam,” Cic. Fin. 2, 8, 25: “promittere ad cenam,” Plin. Ep. 1, 15, 1: “vocare ad cenam,” Cic. Att. 6, 3, 9; Hor. S. 2, 7, 30; Suet. Tib. 6: “devocare,” Nep. Cim. 4, 3: “redire a cenā,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 35, 98. —Prov.: cenā comesā venire, i. e. to come too late: “post festum,” Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 11: “cenam rapere de rogo,” of unscrupulous greed, Cat. 59, 3.—
II. Meton.
A. A dish, course, at dinner: “prima, altera, tertia,” Mart. 11, 31, 5 and 6.—*
B. A company at table: “ingens cena sedet,” Juv. 2, 120.—*
C. The place of an entertainment (cf. cenatio and cenaculum), Plin. 12, 1, 5, § 11.
