In the case of Emperor Nero, historical sources suggest that he was paranoid about potential conspiracies against him, and food tasters played a significant role in his efforts to stay safe. The reigns of several emperors saw the rise of multiple food tasters, sometimes even entire teams of them, to protect against the ever-present threat of poisoning.
The Role of Trust and Loyalty
Given the danger involved in the job, the praegustator had to be someone who was trusted implicitly by the emperor or high-ranking official. In many cases, food tasters were slaves or freedmen, but they could also be individuals with close ties to the emperor's inner circle. The loyalty and reliability of the praegustator were paramount, as their failure could result in a serious breach of safety, potentially allowing an assassination to succeed.
Interestingly, being a praegustator could sometimes be a dangerous role. While food tasters were often seen as indispensable, their lives were at constant risk. If someone had an interest in poisoning the emperor, they might target the praegustator first, knowing that their job was to test for poison. Thus, the job required not only bravery but also immense trust in the person performing the task. shutdown123