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Is it the couches that are covered with drapery, or the representations of the gods? Are the gods clothed in the drapery or is it thrown on them like a blanket? Cerulean Depths (talk) 16:35, 9 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The couches are covered with drapery and cushions, in preparation for the feast, and the images of the gods are laid on the already-draped couch for the feast. Whether or not the images of the gods are draped is hard to say; but I'd say it's unlikely. Images of the gods were generally well tended and as far as I can tell would have been "appropriately dressed" whatever the occasion, as would a citizen at a formal "do" or banquet. The primary sources are not mutually consistent or clear about it, and those used for this article are pretty ancient. I've added a slightly less ancient relevant work by L. R. Taylor, which covers both the Lectisternium and the Sellisternium, up to a point (she'd have used the exact same sources). Haploidavey (talk) 17:58, 9 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
You've not misunderstood, @Cerulean Depths; I've merely added a couple of nuanced variations. It's rather wooly material, and difficult to deal with in anything like a satisfactory way. The lectisternium was an essential ground-level element in Roman Imperial cult, in private household cult, public games and the Compitalia above all, despite all the hoo-ha about there being virtually no sanctioned Imperial cult practises in Rome itself. And of course in Byzantine imperial ceremony, the pulvinar at the Hippodrome is part of the imperial palace.
