What did the Romans Eat, and Why? Madeline Brown, NHRE Intern, Summer 2010, in collaboration with Dr. Alain Touwaide

Summary Nutritional Properties The ancient Roman diet has been discussed and reconstructed in a number of The high proportion of cereals and legumes in the ancient Roman diet previous studies, but none of them have attempted to fully quantify the provided them with a substantial amount of calories, protein, calcium, and nutritional and biological properties of the Roman diet. In this pilot study we iron. While these foods are deficient in Vitamins A, C, and D, the Romans combine literary, archaeological, and botanical data in order to uncover both likely obtained these nutrients via seasonally available fruits and vegetables, the full list of plant and animal species likely eaten by the ancient Romans and though spices may also have played a role in providing these nutrients. Our how these specific foods contributed to the overall health of the Roman analysis indicates that their diet was fairly low in vitamin D, sodium, and people. By combining modern Mediterranean dietary data with what we know sugar. The ancient Roman people ’s high sun exposure and proximity to the about the consumption patterns of the ancient Romans, we quantified and sea also had positive health effects, conferring both vitamin D and iodine. reconstructed the nutritional properties of the ancient Roman diet. Based on our research, we suggest that the Roman diet relied heavily on cereals and legumes, which provided most of their caloric and nutritional needs. Relative Amount of Foods Eaten by the Ancient Romans

Caloric Value of Foods in Model Roman Diet Composition of Roman Diet 200.00 Based on our knowledge of the types of foods eaten by the Foods 180.00 ancient Romans, we examined floras of Italy and archaeological 160.00 listed in evidence in order to determine which plant and animal species 140.00

classical Low Wheat, (both wild and domesticated) they likely ate. The Romans 120.00 Men High Wheat, primarily ate cereals and legumes, usually with sides of Roman 100.00 Men Low Wheat, Women vegetables, cheese, or meat and covered with sauces made out of 80.00 Conclusions literature High Wheat, Women fermented fish, vinegar, honey, and various herbs and spices. Caloric Intake (GDA) 60.00 We found that the core constituents of the Roman diet (cereals While they had some refrigeration, much of their diet depended Percent of Daily Recommended 40.00 and legumes) meet many of the daily nutritional needs of men on which foods were locally and seasonally available. Meat and 20.00 and women when consumed in the amounts presumably eaten fish were luxuries primarily reserved for the upper and upper 0.00 in ancient Rome. The Romans likely met their additional Total food Vegetable Treenuts Fish, Eggs oil seafood middle classes. These results are reflected in the pyramids above. Primary Sources Food Categories nutritional needs using a wide variety of more sporadically consumed foods such as meats, fruits, and spices. We also Our study relies on a review of both primary sources and Contributions by Food Type to Total Mass of Food Contributions by Food Type to Total Mass of Food found that neither the nutritional properties nor the frequency secondary literature discussing the Roman diet, from Consumed in Model Roman Diet (Low Wheat Estimate) Consumed in Model Roman Diet (High Wheat Estimate) of consumption for a given food seem to have been the Eggs Eggs which we drew a preliminary list of 321 different foods Spices Fish, seafood 0.9% Spices 1.2% determining factor for how often it was mentioned by classical that were likely to have been consumed. Based on this 2.8% Cereals 0.1% Cereals 0.2% Fish, seafood Pulses authors. While we will probably not be able to know exactly survey, we found that ancient Roman authors mentioned Vegetables & 2.0% Pulses Vegetables & Treenuts Starchy roots Treenuts what the ancient Romans ate, we should continue to attempt Starchy roots some foods far more frequently than others. This Oil crops 28.0% 39.6% Oil crops to quantify and better reconstruct the nutritional properties Vegetable oils information has been crucial for confirming the types of Cereals Vegetable oils 50.4% Vegetable and composition of their diet through further investigations. Vegetables & foods eaten by the ancient Romans. Starchy roots oils Vegetables & Starchy Spices roots This initial study provides one model for introducing such Vegetable Spices Foods Mentioned in Classical Literature oils Eggs Oil crops quantification methods into research on ancient diets. Weeping Norway Spruce 0.4% Eggs Sturgeon Fish, seafood Mackerel Pulses Gunard or piper Cereals Flamingo Oil crops Fish, seafood Goby 1.6% Treenuts Cake 0.6% Treenuts Pulses 65.0% Watermelon Quail 0.8% Fox 1.2% 1.1% Carrot This graph conveys Golden chantarelle Mussels Alexanders, Maceron Scallop Grey mullet the wide variation in Catnip, Catnip Beans Weever Partridge Methods References Apricot the number of times Wild Radish Red Mullet 1) Andre, Jacques. 1981. L’alimentation et la Cuisine a Rome. Paris: Les Belles Lettres. Pheasant We evaluated the ancient Roman diet based on data from the FAO Trigger-fish various foods are Garum Pinna 2) Confederation of the food and drink industries of the EU (CIAA) . Guideline Daily Amounts Mediterranean gladiolus Porcini about the amount and proportions of foodstuffs annually consumed (GDAs) – GDAs Explained. http://gda.ciaa.eu/asp2/gdas_portions_rationale.asp?doc_id=127. Nitron mentioned in ancient Thrush Oyster 3) Dalby, Andrew. 2003. Food in the Ancient World: From A to Z. London: Routledge. Pistachio by contemporary Mediterranean people. Because the FAO divides Arbutus, Strawberry Tree Marijuana, Hemp Roman literature. A Jujube 4) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAOSTAT Food Balance Sheets Red Pea, Flatpod Peavine Costus or putchuk diets into categories such as cereals, meats, and vegetable oil, we were (Italy, Turkey, Greece, and Spain). http://faostat.fao.org/site/368/default.aspx#ancor. Dates comparatively small Dog Medlar Elderberry 5) USDA Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Parsnip able to estimate the relative amount of nutrients the ancient Romans Cardoon number of foods are Raspberry Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. Fenugreek Cinnamon Rocket, arugula would have gained from each food group by inserting foods from 6) World Health Organization (WHO) and FAO . 2004. Vitamin and mineral requirements in human Cress mentioned far more Every Third Sesame Caraway nutrition: Second edition. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241546123.pdf. Food Mentioned Chickpea ancient diets rather than from modern ones into the appropriate Einkorn often than the rest. Cheese Peach Sorb or service-apple Acknowledgements Radish categories. In addition, since we know the ancient Romans probably Basil Beet Horse We would like to thank all of the Smithsonian staff members who have Turnip consumed between 230 to 330 kg of cereals per year, we adjusted the Lettuce Silphium Sheep Lupin, lupine made this study possible as part of the NHRE Summer Intern Pomegranate amount of non-cereal foodstuffs in our model so that it provided the Mint Salt Myrtle Program. Special thanks to Cristián Samper, Elizabeth Cottrell, Gene Fava Bean Coriander/Cilantro same total amount of food per year for both the high and low cereal Olive Barley Honey Hunt, and Virginia Power. Black Pepper consumption estimates. 0 100 200 300 400 500 Number of Times Mentioned Contact: [email protected]