Almost half of the house’s pottery could be dedicated to group drinking. The symposium was a wine drinking party. It was intended for small groups of men; the only females present were entertainers or escorts. Despite misgivings about drunkenness, many a guest left the house late at night suffering from over-stretched bladders or upset stomachs. The wealthier patrons could afford to have a young slave with them who carried a jug for his master to relieve himself on the way home.