Ancient Rome had its version of McDonalds too

Recent excavations of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii reveal that some aspects of society haven’t changed much during the last 2,000 years, including our eating habits. The Romans also had what were essentially fast-food restaurants. Known as thermopolia (or singularly as a thermopolium), these establishments sold a variety of ready-to-eat hot food. They were essential to daily life in ancient Rome, because not all citizens had kitchens. In the region around Pompeii, only around 40% of low-income households and 66% of middle-class households had a kitchen at home. Those who didn’t typically lived in insulae (apartment buildings) and relied on thermopolia for many of their meals.

Thermopolia were low-cost food joints, offering a selection of meats (such as chicken, pork, duck, goat, and snails), cheeses, fish, bread, and legumes, washed down with calida (a type of mulled wine) — there were no burgers or fries here. The food was held in dolia (large terracotta pots) on buffet-style counters. The more upscale restaurants had frescoes adorning the walls, depicting food that was eaten there (such as ducks or chickens) or deities (such as Mercury, the god of commerce, and Bacchus, the god of wine). Thermopolia weren’t without controversy, however. Roman Emperor Claudius once tried to have them shut down because of their poor reputation. Criminals, thieves, and other dishonorable members of society often gathered and drank wine at thermopolia, earning the establishments a bad rap.

food for sale in a marketplace settings has probably always been around since al gore invented fire.

Amazing find.

Also found in Pompeii ...

A bakery where enslaved people were imprisoned and exploited to produce bread has been discovered in the ruins of Pompeii in what has been described as the most shocking example of slavery in the ancient Roman city.

The cramped bakery with small windows barred with iron was part of a home that emerged during excavations in the Regio IX area of the Pompeii archaeological park in southern Italy.

The discovery provides more evidence on the daily life of Pompeii’s enslaved people, often forgotten about by historical sources but who made up most of the population and whose hard labour propped up the city’s economy as well as the culture and fabric of Roman civilisation.

The home is believed to have been undergoing renovations when it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. But the remains of three victims were found in one of the bakery’s rooms in recent months, indicating the home still had occupants.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/dec/08/archaeologists-unearth-most-shocking-example-of-roman-slavery-at-pompeii

Red Lily wrote:Amazing find.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

Daily Bread wrote:

Red Lily wrote:Amazing find.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

That they do!

It's interesting that even than , there was a work / monetary system that people used to purchase a snack or meal . I never thought about it much and generally thought that everything was bartered and "purchasing " a meal wasn't done . It must have been tough if you we just a regular person to survive , and I imagine thieves were 50% of the population .

The Romans were a greedy lot so any bartering was probably ostracized and outlawed in favor of material gain.  The rich had it all and the poor had nothing.

Their infrastructure and architecture were second to none but it was achieved through slavery and brutality perpetrated against its people and animals.  It's amazing how it has stood the test of time so well.  Nothing we build today ever will lol.

There's a lot to admire about the Roman Empire but there's probably more to be shamed.

They probably minced up the remains of people and animals from the 'games' and served them up and sold them as Big Macs.

Daily Bread wrote:

Red Lily wrote:Amazing find.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

I was thinking along the same line only my thought was.....Everything old is new again.   It's funny how things die out and then 100more or less years later they're invented again as if they're new because we can forget within a generation or two what items that our grandparents commonly used and were for what purpose. for example.   GHQ and i were at a local antique mall.   we went past one booth and the lady had the name of a particular piece labelled as a collander.....well..it certainly looked like a collander but both of us having had horses, began laughing....it was an item that you put on the horse to keep it from cribbing.....in case anyone here doesn't know what that is...cribbing is when a horse  chews on the wood, usually the top of the door to its stall out of boredom  or some other reason, anxiety perhaps.    Neither of us would be so inclined to use it for a collander knowing the actual use of the item....

Same with fast food restaurants.  Civilization is just humming along and then, the barbarians are at the gate and they're not interested in marketplace foods or fast foods.... all of civilization stops and people are scraping garbage heaps for food and many more are dying of starvation.  If Biden's Bidenomics continues we may find ourselves in the same spot unable to afford eating out and fast food shops will close.....and then at some point they open again and wow what an idea...here we go again.   There was time before the advent of the little fast food chains came along again that people ate at home more often than not  but here we are again.

Red Lily wrote:The Romans were a greedy lot so any bartering was probably ostracized and outlawed in favor of material gain.  The rich had it all and the poor had nothing.

Their infrastructure and architecture were second to none but it was achieved through slavery and brutality perpetrated against its people and animals.  It's amazing how it has stood the test of time so well.  Nothing we build today ever will lol.

There's a lot to admire about the Roman Empire but there's probably more to be shamed.

They probably minced up the remains of people and animals from the 'games' and served them up and sold them as Big Macs.

Still ,even the slaves survived and the poor managed . They worked with what they had and made due I guess . They may have been slaves and they may have been poor but they didn't know it as we know it . It was just a level that you were on and most didn't know that there was another way to succeed .