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Authors: Richard Osgood
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legionary stationed at Alexandria, wrote to apologise to his father for not meeting him and explained why: âfor it was at that time that so violent and dreadful an attack of fish poisoning made me ill, and for five days I was unable to drop you a line, not to speak of going to meet you. Not one of us was even able to leave the camp gateââ ( ibid. : 130). Shellfish fragments, including oysters, mussles, limpets, whelk and cockle, have been discovered on fort sites from Caerleon to Chester ( ibid. : 129).
Barrels might also have be used for transporting food to the legions, in barracks or hospital. One example, from Aquincum in Pannonia, bears a Latin legend Expac NTR VAL LEG II ADI (possibly Expac(to) n[u]tr(imento) val(etudinari) leg(ionis) II adi(utricis)) branded onto the staves, which Bezeczky (1996: 335) believes to mean âfood on contract for the hospital of Legion II Adiutrixâ.
In terms of cooking equipment, the Roman legion took bronze kettles with it on campaign (Wells, 2003: 97). A number of these kettles have been recovered from military contexts, including the ditch around the fort. Seven such kettles have been found at Newstead (Curle, 1911: 273â4). These are battered and have been repaired on several occasions, having been dented on the march; one kettle had a centurial mark upon it, another TVRMA CRISPI NIGRI ( ibid. : 274).
Food was not just available as rations within the barracks or on campaign, the infantryman could also purchase items when he had any spare time â for example, when relaxing at the baths. At Caerleon, there is a great deal of evidence for the presence of Roman âfast-foodâ sales at the legionary fortress baths. Many mutton chops were recovered from the drains of the baths, along with chicken joints and ribs and trotters of pigs. Further finds from this context included wildfowl bones, shellfish, a hazelnut shell and even an olive stone (Zienkiewicz, 1986b: 20). The latter is especially interesting, and Zienkiewicz noted another discovery of olives â âan amphora containing olive stones of the first century AD has been found off Pan Sands, Whitstable, Kent. Davies notes that black olives preserved in wine must were eaten by legionariesâ ( ibid. : 224).
Archaeobotanical studies also give us good information about the diets of Roman troops. Samples from the sewage-filled ditch at the Beasden fort in Scotland were taken by J. Dickson during David Breezeâs excavations in the 1970s; the bulk of the organic material found was of bran fragments, either of rye or wheat type (grain weevils also being found), the cholesterol levels perhaps indicating a bran-based diet. In addition, âthe first discoveries were of great interest; they were fig pips. It seemed clear that they represented some of the food issued to the soldiers. Other unusual seeds were found: Coriander, Dill and Wild Celeryâ (Dickson and Dickson, 2000: 118). Similar seed assemblages have been found at a Roman fort at Carlisle, in a sewer next to a legionary bathhouse at York (both northern England) and at a fort in Welzheim (south-east Germany) ( ibid. : 123). Seed coats of beans and lentils were found, as were seeds of the opium poppy â perhaps used on bread ( ibid. : 118). Further traces of food found in the sewage included raspberry, bramble, bilberry, wild strawberry and some hazelnut shellsâ ( ibid. : 122).
Waterlogged cereal bran, probably residue of the sewage produced by the garrison, dating to the middle or later 40s AD , was excavated from the inner ditch at the fortress of Alchester. The outer ditch contained evidence for crop processing â spelt wheat, and also a coriander seed (M. Robinson, 2000: 64).
Toilet
One image that is perhaps more enduring than most when it comes to the life of the Roman legionary is his toilet habits. The latrines at Housesteads fort on Hadrianâs Wall would indicate that the men sat and performed bodily
Barrels might also have be used for transporting food to the legions, in barracks or hospital. One example, from Aquincum in Pannonia, bears a Latin legend Expac NTR VAL LEG II ADI (possibly Expac(to) n[u]tr(imento) val(etudinari) leg(ionis) II adi(utricis)) branded onto the staves, which Bezeczky (1996: 335) believes to mean âfood on contract for the hospital of Legion II Adiutrixâ.
In terms of cooking equipment, the Roman legion took bronze kettles with it on campaign (Wells, 2003: 97). A number of these kettles have been recovered from military contexts, including the ditch around the fort. Seven such kettles have been found at Newstead (Curle, 1911: 273â4). These are battered and have been repaired on several occasions, having been dented on the march; one kettle had a centurial mark upon it, another TVRMA CRISPI NIGRI ( ibid. : 274).
Food was not just available as rations within the barracks or on campaign, the infantryman could also purchase items when he had any spare time â for example, when relaxing at the baths. At Caerleon, there is a great deal of evidence for the presence of Roman âfast-foodâ sales at the legionary fortress baths. Many mutton chops were recovered from the drains of the baths, along with chicken joints and ribs and trotters of pigs. Further finds from this context included wildfowl bones, shellfish, a hazelnut shell and even an olive stone (Zienkiewicz, 1986b: 20). The latter is especially interesting, and Zienkiewicz noted another discovery of olives â âan amphora containing olive stones of the first century AD has been found off Pan Sands, Whitstable, Kent. Davies notes that black olives preserved in wine must were eaten by legionariesâ ( ibid. : 224).
Archaeobotanical studies also give us good information about the diets of Roman troops. Samples from the sewage-filled ditch at the Beasden fort in Scotland were taken by J. Dickson during David Breezeâs excavations in the 1970s; the bulk of the organic material found was of bran fragments, either of rye or wheat type (grain weevils also being found), the cholesterol levels perhaps indicating a bran-based diet. In addition, âthe first discoveries were of great interest; they were fig pips. It seemed clear that they represented some of the food issued to the soldiers. Other unusual seeds were found: Coriander, Dill and Wild Celeryâ (Dickson and Dickson, 2000: 118). Similar seed assemblages have been found at a Roman fort at Carlisle, in a sewer next to a legionary bathhouse at York (both northern England) and at a fort in Welzheim (south-east Germany) ( ibid. : 123). Seed coats of beans and lentils were found, as were seeds of the opium poppy â perhaps used on bread ( ibid. : 118). Further traces of food found in the sewage included raspberry, bramble, bilberry, wild strawberry and some hazelnut shellsâ ( ibid. : 122).
Waterlogged cereal bran, probably residue of the sewage produced by the garrison, dating to the middle or later 40s AD , was excavated from the inner ditch at the fortress of Alchester. The outer ditch contained evidence for crop processing â spelt wheat, and also a coriander seed (M. Robinson, 2000: 64).
Toilet
One image that is perhaps more enduring than most when it comes to the life of the Roman legionary is his toilet habits. The latrines at Housesteads fort on Hadrianâs Wall would indicate that the men sat and performed bodily
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