Roman Meals

Meals

Typically, the Romans ate three meals a day.

Breakfast - ientaculum

The Romans ate a breakfast of bread or a wheat pancake eaten with dates and honey.

Lunch - prandium

At midday they ate a light meal of fish, cold meat, bread and vegetables. Often the meal consisted of the leftovers of the previous day's cena.

Dinner - cena - The main meal

What was eaten for dinner varied among classes.

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Poor Romans

The poor might only eat a simple meal of vegetables and porridge, whereas the rich could enjoy such luxuries as several course meals and exotic food and wine.

Wheat was boiled to make the tasteless porridge. To add flavour to the porridge they often added flavourings and relishes as well as vegetables, herbs and a little meat.

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Rich Romans

Rich Romans held elaborate dinner parties in the triclinium (dining room). These parties often lasted up to eight hours. The Romans did not sit on chairs around the table like we do today. Instead the adults lay on sloping couches situated around a square table. Only small children or slaves were permitted to eat sitting.

The Romans ate mainly with their fingers and so the food was cut into bite size pieces. Slaves would continually wash the guests' hands throughout the dinner.

Spoons were used for soup.

Rich Romans could afford to eat lots of meat.

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Roman Food and Drink (Click Here)