alus ▁fed ▁his ▁dogs ▁on ▁fo ie ▁gr as ▁during ▁the ▁four ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁reign . ▁Pl iny ▁the ▁E lder ▁( 1 st ▁century ▁AD ) ▁cred its ▁his ▁contemporary , ▁Roman ▁g astr on ome ▁Marcus ▁G av ius ▁Ap ici us , ▁with ▁feed ing ▁d ried ▁fig s ▁to ▁ge ese ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁en large ▁their ▁li vers : ▁ ▁Hence , ▁the ▁term ▁ie cur ▁fic atum , ▁fig - st uff ed ▁li ver ; ▁feed ing ▁fig s ▁to ▁en large ▁a ▁go ose ' s ▁li ver ▁may ▁derive ▁from ▁H ellen istic ▁Alexand ria , ▁since ▁much ▁of ▁Roman ▁lux ury ▁cu is ine ▁was ▁of ▁Greek ▁insp iration . ▁F ic atum ▁was ▁closely ▁associated ▁with ▁animal ▁li ver ▁and ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁root ▁word ▁for ▁" liver " ▁in ▁each ▁of ▁these ▁languages : ▁fo ie ▁in ▁French , ▁h í g ado ▁in ▁Spanish , ▁f í g ado ▁in ▁Portuguese , ▁f eg ato ▁in ▁Italian , ▁fet ge ▁in ▁Catal an ▁and ▁Occ itan ▁and ▁fic at ▁in ▁Roman ian , ▁all ▁meaning ▁" liver "; ▁this ▁et ym ology ▁has ▁been ▁explained ▁in ▁different ▁man ners . ▁ ▁Post class ical ▁Europe ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁emp ire , ▁go ose ▁li ver ▁tempor arily ▁van ished ▁from ▁European ▁cu is ine . ▁Some ▁claim ▁that ▁Gall ic ▁far mers ▁preserved ▁the ▁fo ie ▁gr as ▁tradition ▁until ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Europe ▁redis cover