What Did the Romans Eat? Part 2: Plebs’ Food

What Did the Romans Eat? Part 2: Plebs’ Food

From Instant Classics by Vespucci

March 12, 2026 · 44 min

About this episode

This episode explores the everyday food consumed by average Romans, highlighting the role of fast food outlets and archaeological findings.

Think Roman food and we imagine extravagant banquets involving rare delicacies. There’s some truth in this, but only for the few. In this episode, Mary and Charlotte ask: what did your average Roman eat? Cooking at home was only for the very rich - you had to have not only a kitchen, but the staff to manage it. For this reason, most Romans ate on the hoof or at fast food outlets. In Pompeii, for instance, there is surviving evidence of many such establishments: places where citizens could access a pre-cooked meal straight away. While we know that most Romans ate out, and the sorts of places where they ate, until recently there was very little evidence showing what such establishments served. Modern archaeological techniques are starting to provide answers through the analysis of excrement in Roman lavatories. Comparing the evidence from lavatories in Herculaneum and modern day Scotland, a faeces - sorry, thesis - emerges of people surviving on whatever the local countryside could provide - varying dramatically from region to region - with a few luxury imports for special occasions. Forget dormice and think cabbage. Lots of it. In myriad ways. Mary and Charlotte recommend some…

People in this episode

Hosts: Mary, Charlotte

Topics covered

  • Roman food
  • ancient diets
  • archaeology
  • fast food
  • cooking
  • social classes

Keywords

  • Roman food
  • Pompeii
  • Herculaneum
  • archaeology
  • diet
  • fast food
  • cooking

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Scotland

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