Diet and Nutrition in the Roman World

Food culture in the classical world has received much attention but while this volume considers the political and social aspects of food where they are directly related to nutrition and diet, its primary focus is on the nature and quality of food consumed in the Roman world. The volume looks at the variety of sources available for historians and archaeologists covering textual and visual sources, as well as archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological and bone evidence. The following section gives an overview of food stuffs, from bread and wine to seafood and meat, paying special attention to those aspects of production, preservation and distribution that determine the diversity within each category, and considers the access of the various segments within Roman society to the range of foods available. The main emphasis is on the Roman world but to highlight the diversity of the Roman Mediterranean groups that could be regarded as 'outsiders' are also considered. The next section of the book presents a colloquium on diet, malnutrition and physical development and stature. The final sections discuss food and nutrition in the social and political environment, the first focusing on the family and community, and the second considering the role of the market and politics, as well as the consequences of system failure such as starvation.