ed ▁li vers ▁of ▁birds ▁as ▁a ▁del ic acy ▁remains ▁und et erm ined . ▁In ▁the ▁ne c ropol is ▁of ▁Sa qq ara , ▁in ▁the ▁tomb ▁of ▁Mer er uka , ▁an ▁important ▁royal ▁official , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁bas ▁relief ▁scene ▁where in ▁workers ▁grasp ▁ge ese ▁around ▁the ▁ne cks ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁push ▁food ▁down ▁their ▁thro ats . ▁At ▁the ▁side ▁stand ▁tables ▁p iled ▁with ▁more ▁food ▁pel lets , ▁and ▁a ▁flask ▁for ▁mo isten ing ▁the ▁feed ▁before ▁giving ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁ge ese . ▁ ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁go ose ▁f atten ing ▁spread ▁from ▁Egypt ▁to ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁The ▁earliest ▁reference ▁to ▁f atten ed ▁ge ese ▁is ▁from ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁century ▁BC ▁Greek ▁poet ▁C rat inus , ▁who ▁wrote ▁of ▁ge ese - f atten ers , ▁yet ▁Egypt ▁maintained ▁its ▁reputation ▁as ▁the ▁source ▁for ▁f atten ed ▁ge ese . ▁When ▁the ▁Spart an ▁king ▁A ges il aus ▁visited ▁Egypt ▁in ▁ 3 6 1 ▁BC , ▁he ▁noted ▁Egypt ian ▁far mers ▁f atten ed ▁ge ese ▁and ▁cal ves . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁Roman ▁period , ▁however , ▁that ▁fo ie ▁gr as ▁is ▁mentioned ▁as ▁a ▁distinct ▁food , ▁which ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁named ▁ie cur ▁fic atum ; ▁ie cur ▁means ▁li ver ▁and ▁fic atum ▁der ives ▁from ▁f icus , ▁meaning ▁fig ▁in ▁Latin . ▁The ▁em peror ▁El ag ab