Agriculture
Romans did use a limited form of two-tier crop rotation, but crop production was mostly low yielding and required a vast amount of slaves to operate at any volume. Two-tier crop rotation was rarely used because it only produced around 1 ton per hectare (unit of area defined as 10,000 square meters)
As only the wealthy individuals could afford a steady diet of meat, the rest would have to do with common food. The average diet included wheat, vegetables, and fruit. Some normal breads eaten were panis plebeius (common bread), panis sordidus (dark bread) and Picenian bread (fine biscuits only eaten by the wealthy.) Fruits eaten around the empire were apples, figs, grapes, pears and plums. A few of the vegetables they commonly ate were leeks, lentils, garlic, lettuce, onions and olives.
Wine was a very popular drink in ancient Rome. Actual Roman "wine" was watered down because the Romans never drank wine straight. Honeyed wine was called mulsum and was drank year round by most. A wine drank by soldiers and slaves was called posca, and it was vinegar mixed with enough water to make it drinkable. A wine drank in the winter, as we would drink hot chocolate was called calda. It was a mix of warm water and wine with spices added.
Agriculture in ancient Rome was not only a necessity, but was thought of by the social elite as a way of life. Cicero regarded farming the most noble of all Roman professions. As he said in his summary of farming, On Duties "Of all the occupations by which gain is secured, none is better than agriculture, none more profitable, none more delightful, none more becoming to a free man.” Though there was a steady stream of products from provinces that were conquered by Rome, wealthy landowners developed the land to provide a variety of crops. Farms did depend on slave labor, but free men from overseas and citizens were hired to oversee the slaves and make sure that the farms ran smoothly.
As only the wealthy individuals could afford a steady diet of meat, the rest would have to do with common food. The average diet included wheat, vegetables, and fruit. Some normal breads eaten were panis plebeius (common bread), panis sordidus (dark bread) and Picenian bread (fine biscuits only eaten by the wealthy.) Fruits eaten around the empire were apples, figs, grapes, pears and plums. A few of the vegetables they commonly ate were leeks, lentils, garlic, lettuce, onions and olives.
Wine was a very popular drink in ancient Rome. Actual Roman "wine" was watered down because the Romans never drank wine straight. Honeyed wine was called mulsum and was drank year round by most. A wine drank by soldiers and slaves was called posca, and it was vinegar mixed with enough water to make it drinkable. A wine drank in the winter, as we would drink hot chocolate was called calda. It was a mix of warm water and wine with spices added.
Agriculture in ancient Rome was not only a necessity, but was thought of by the social elite as a way of life. Cicero regarded farming the most noble of all Roman professions. As he said in his summary of farming, On Duties "Of all the occupations by which gain is secured, none is better than agriculture, none more profitable, none more delightful, none more becoming to a free man.” Though there was a steady stream of products from provinces that were conquered by Rome, wealthy landowners developed the land to provide a variety of crops. Farms did depend on slave labor, but free men from overseas and citizens were hired to oversee the slaves and make sure that the farms ran smoothly.