Top 10 Amazing Facts about Ancient Rome 7. Even the great Hadrian drank posca when on campaign to show his men he was one of them. Drinking good wine while in the army was seen as bad form and undisciplined, so high-ranking generals would drink posca with the troops to show their dedication to the legion. The Roman legions were known to carry huge barrels of posca wine during their military campaigns. This only added to posca’s popularity as its acidity killed most of the germs and kept the drink from early stagnation.
Water sanitation in those times was sub-standard and normal drinking water was usually contaminated. The soldiers used to add water to the vinegar to turn it into drinkable posca. The Roman legions used to receive a lot of vinegar in their rations. It was usually made by watering down low-quality wine and then adding spices to make it taste better. Posca was a popular drink among ancient Roman soldiers and poor peasants. They used it in lamps, and even to cleanse their bodies in baths as the Romans did not have soap. But olive oil was not just used as a foodstuff it was in fact a part of the Romans’ daily lifestyle. It was also a major ingredient in some of the most popular sauces used in ancient Roman cooking. Most of the meals in the Roman military were cooked in olive oil and vinegar. Most ordinary Romans would either boil their food or fry it in olive oil. Because of this, the Romans had many purposes for olive oil. It also had a symbolic meaning in ancient Rome since olive leaves and branches represented peace, fertility, and prosperity.
Olive OilĪ popular commodity among the Romans, olive oil became even more common in Roman kitchens when Roman emperors began to actively support olive tree plantations and olive oil production.Īs a fruit, the olive was one of the most commonly grown food items in the Mediterranean region. The Romans wasted no time in reaping all these benefits and barley was the most popular grain in the republican era. The cultivation of barley was relatively easy since barley is adaptable and resistant. Sprouting helped transform the hard barley grains into a paste of dense but easy-to-digest food which had the added benefit of being rich in nutrients. The gladiators were served sprouted barley as a gruel and a similar barley gruel meal was also served in the Roman army as a staple food. It was especially famous among the Roman gladiators who were also known by the name of hordearii which meant “eaters of barley” or “barley men.” Barley, being a rich source of carbohydrate, helped them gain weight and maintain a spectacular physique to please the crowds. Roman athletes followed suit and made barley an integral part of their training diet. Barley was an essential staple in ancient Greece since it made up a large portion of the diet of athletes.
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