Primus Pilus Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Just as a U.S. Presidential state dinner does not reflect how most Americans eat and socialize, researchers think the formal, decadent image of wining and dining in ancient Rome mostly just applied to the elite. According to archaeologist Penelope Allison of the University of Leicester, the majority of the population consumed food "on the run." Allison excavated an entire neighborhood block in Pompeii, a city frozen in time after the eruption of volcano Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D... Discovery News Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Porcius Cato Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Rome: Fast Food Nation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primus Pilus Posted June 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Rome: Fast Food Nation. I wonder if they had Super-Size? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 "Uh, yeah, can I have combo meal #2, but can you swap out the stuffed mushrooms? I'd like the dumplings instead. Oh, and I'll have a medium wine with that." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldrail Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 many poorer homes had no facilities to cook, so I guess fast food was a necessity really, and one exploited by traders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vercingetorix Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Have it your way at Burger Caesar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 many poorer homes had no facilities to cook, so I guess fast food was a necessity really, and one exploited by traders. This is often the reason given for many inner-city peoples, and the subsequent health issues are blamed on this in our society. But I'm just guessing that this Roman fast food was just a hair healthier than meal deal #1, supersized. Though this brings to mind cost: many moons ago, I used to think that, because I was always broke, I couldn't afford as many veggies and fruit. Then I did a cost-analysis, learned how to buy in the right proportion and in the season...suddenly I realized that it's way cheaper to buy veggies and fruit--and not buy so much that it goes to waste!--than to buy mac n cheese and the like. And to be honest, when in Spain the 'authentic' fast food was relatively cheap--like 5 euros--for quite a decent sized portion of food. Bottom line is, do we know how much (roughly) this food was? If you live in a place with meager cooking facilities, if anything, you probably don't have much money to start with...so this 'fast food' couldn't have been very expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dalby Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 many poorer homes had no facilities to cook, so I guess fast food was a necessity really, and one exploited by traders. This is often the reason given for many inner-city peoples, and the subsequent health issues are blamed on this in our society. But I'm just guessing that this Roman fast food was just a hair healthier than meal deal #1, supersized. Though this brings to mind cost: many moons ago, I used to think that, because I was always broke, I couldn't afford as many veggies and fruit. Then I did a cost-analysis, learned how to buy in the right proportion and in the season...suddenly I realized that it's way cheaper to buy veggies and fruit--and not buy so much that it goes to waste!--than to buy mac n cheese and the like. And to be honest, when in Spain the 'authentic' fast food was relatively cheap--like 5 euros--for quite a decent sized portion of food. Bottom line is, do we know how much (roughly) this food was? If you live in a place with meager cooking facilities, if anything, you probably don't have much money to start with...so this 'fast food' couldn't have been very expensive. Here's your price, thanks to Martial (I quoted this in /Empire of Pleasures/). He is addressing an imaginary poverty-stricken or miserly friend: From a bowl of ten olives more than five are left for next time; a single serving provides two dinners; you drink the thick dregs of red Veientan; your hot chickpea soup costs an as, your sex costs an as. (Martial 1.103) An as being a copper coin, one-tenth of a denarius. 'Veientan' is low-grade local wine, from Veii. So that's fast food, Roman style. (And probably fast sex, too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 There's a joke in there somewhere...I'll just leave that alone Thanks, AD...so, bascially, a fair amount of food (for 2, no less!) for not much money. That sounds about right; the poor need to be fed, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Octavius Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 There's a joke in there somewhere...I'll just leave that alone Thanks, AD...so, bascially, a fair amount of food (for 2, no less!) for not much money. That sounds about right; the poor need to be fed, too. Depends on the Standard of Living. An as might have been a small fortune to a poor person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Porcius Cato Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 There's a joke in there somewhere...I'll just leave that alone Thanks, AD...so, bascially, a fair amount of food (for 2, no less!) for not much money. That sounds about right; the poor need to be fed, too. And it really is cheap--the average Roman earned 1000 sesterci per annum, which is 2500 asses per year (literally, if Martial is correct). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 So one could make an as of oneself quite cheaply? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantagathus Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 From a bowl of ten olives more than five are left for next time; a single serving provides two dinners Better be big olives... I personally can't make myself stop at 5! (Though calorie wise I should!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 From a bowl of ten olives more than five are left for next time; a single serving provides two dinners Better be big olives... I personally can't make myself stop at 5! (Though calorie wise I should!) So you could become a big as? Please forgive me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 And it really is cheap--the average Roman earned 1000 sesterci per annum, which is 2500 asses per year (literally, if Martial is correct). Too many jokes...must be good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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