Triclinium tri-klin'-ti-um (Latin from Greek triklinion, from tri and kline, "a couch"): A couch for reclining at meals among the ancient Romans, arranged along three sides of a square, the fourth side being left open for bringing in food or tables, when these were used. In the larger Roman houses the dining-rooms consisted of small alcoves in the atrium arranged to receive triclinia. In early Old Testament times people sat at their meals (Genesis 27:19, Judges 19:6, 1 Samuel 20:5, 1 Kings 13:20). Reclining was a luxurious habit imported from foreign countries by the degenerate aristocracy in the days of the later prophets (Amos 2:8, Amos 6:4). Still, we find it common in New Testament times (Matthew 9:10, Matthew 26:7, Mark 6:22, Mark 6:39, Mark 14:3, Mark 14:18, Luke 5:29, Luke 7:36, Luke 7:37, Luke 14:10, Luke 17:7, John 12:2; in these passages, though English Versions of the Bible read "sat," the Greek words are anakeimai, sunanakeimai, anapipto, katakeimai and anaklino, all indicating "reclining"; compare John 13:23, John 21:20; here the King James Version translates these words "lean," probably with reference to the Jewish custom of leaning at the Passover feast). In John 2:8, John 2:9 the ruler or governor of the feast is called architriklinos, that is, the master of the triclinium.
See MEALS, III.
Nathan Isaacs