If there is one thing the wealthy and elite Roman liked to do, when they weren't complaining about having to spend all day watching gladiators boshing each other over the head (even though they willingly spent all day watching gladiators boshing each other over the head), it was lolling about eating things.
Interestingly, the word 'panis' comes from the Proto-Indo-European rot 'peh' which simply means 'to eat', which sort of indicated how fundamental a foodstuff to human society bread was.
I don't think the ancients watered down their wine attempting to be couth. I think they did it to make it less tannic. Their wine was so tannic because they aged it in ceramic containers or possibly stone (I'm guessing). It was much later when the discovery was made that by aging wine in wooden barrels it becomes less astringent. But what I really wanted to know was did the Romans enjoy a nice ceasar salad?
A lot of Roman wine was pretty poor quality, so watering it down made it palatable. The finer quality stuff was fortified, more like a port or sherry, so watering it down avoided getting unseemingly drunk.
The French word for "bread" is "pan". I found this odd learning the language. However, it very obviously derives from the Roman "panis".
'Pain', yes.
'Pan' in Spanish and 'pane' in Italian.
Interestingly, the word 'panis' comes from the Proto-Indo-European rot 'peh' which simply means 'to eat', which sort of indicated how fundamental a foodstuff to human society bread was.
How did Romans obtain their food and how was it prepared and by whom? How was food distributed within towns and cities?
If you give me a little while, I'll prepare you a full answer!
I don't think the ancients watered down their wine attempting to be couth. I think they did it to make it less tannic. Their wine was so tannic because they aged it in ceramic containers or possibly stone (I'm guessing). It was much later when the discovery was made that by aging wine in wooden barrels it becomes less astringent. But what I really wanted to know was did the Romans enjoy a nice ceasar salad?
A lot of Roman wine was pretty poor quality, so watering it down made it palatable. The finer quality stuff was fortified, more like a port or sherry, so watering it down avoided getting unseemingly drunk.