A gourmand. The name belonged to three celebrated Roman epicures, the most
famous of whom was Marcus Gavius Apicius, who lived in the first century a.d. and was the author of a book of recipes known as Of Culinary Matters.
When he was faced through financial difficulty with having to restrict himself to a plain diet, he killed himself rather than suffer such privation.
This Apicius dedicated his life to seeking out new taste
sensations in the restaurants and hotels of Manhattan.
See Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome – Project Gutenberg
Source: http://www.greenvalleyhs.org/library/Documents/Allusions.pdf
