We have some idea of what people ate in the ancient world based on literature describing routine meals or out of the ordinary feasts, including works praising types of wine and honey. Archaeological evidence occasionally creates new insights into ancient consumption patterns. There are remains of artifacts that enhance our knowledge of dining and food preparation. We also have a good idea of what foods were imported to Europe from the New World at a date much later than Classical Antiquity.
1. Trimalchio's Banquet
In the Satyricon, a satire attributed to Petronius, is a famous scene of gluttony and orgy that is known for the name of the host, Trimalchio's Banquet. This scene was lavishly re-created in Fellini's cinematic Satyricon. The dishes seem outrageous, but behind all the pomp and luxury is a picture of the types of items Romans counted as food. The following is a tray of delicacies:"Dormice sprinkled with poppy-seed and honey were served on little bridges soldered fast to the platter, and hot sausages on a silver gridiron, underneath which were damson plums and pomegranate seeds."
2. What the Romans Ate
Corinne Gill
The supper meal in the evening was known as vesperna in early Rome. The main meal of the day was known as the cena in the country and in early times in the city. Cena was eaten around midday and was followed by the lighter supper meal. Over time in the city, the heavy meal was pushed later and later, and so the vesperna was omitted. Instead a light lunch or prandium was introduced between jentaculum and cena. The cena was eaten around sunset.
3. Wheat
Breeding across species is known to produce sterile offspring. However, bread, the staff of life, is a product of a very strange genetic event: the cross-breeding of two species to produce a third, fertile species. This has happened twice in the ancient history of wheat, the first time, about 30,000 years ago, to produce Emmer Wheat, and the second time, about 9,000 years ago, to produce the wheat we use today.4. The Roman Military Diet
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We've been led to think that ancient Romans were mainly vegetarian and that when the legions came into contact with the European barbarians they had trouble stomaching the meat-rich food. Maybe this is too simplistic. Perhaps the Roman soldiers weren't opposed to a daily meat-centered meal. Find out more about what the Roman legions ate.
