Spectators at Rome's Colosseum ate olives, fruit and nuts while watching gladiators fight to the death, archaeologists find after discovering 1,900-year-old food fragments

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | November 24, 2022, updated on the 25th | Fiona Jackson

[P.O.E.]

It was a combination of “bread & circuses” advertising money and gladiator’s agents negotiating those big contracts that ruined the sport.

[dynachrome]

The upper class booth for me, near the Emperor.

[PGR88]

And they drank 16 Denarius beers.

[SunkenCiv]

It wasn’t a documentary, but they did a decent job with the historical trappings — that battle at the beginning was really well done, imho.

[SunkenCiv]

You can say that again. I can’t, but you can. ;^)

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, the price has really gone up.

https://theconversation.com/we-brewed-an-ancient-graeco-roman-beer-and-heres-how-it-tastes-94362

[SunkenCiv]

The smell of the crowd (in the street, in the arena, at the races, pretty much everywhere) would still have been bad, but it would be cool to be near the Emperor, assuming one had the good sense not to make eye contact.

[SunkenCiv]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roar_of_the_Greasepaint_%E2%80%93_The_Smell_of_the_Crowd

[Deplorable American1776]

I guess the Lions were undefeated, and I do wonder if the spectators threw snowballs at Santa Claus there? 🤓

[KarlInOhio]

Should stick with a good jug ... well a jug ... of 2 Denarii Carolus wine.

[bigbob]

Martinis and trail mix.

[dynachrome]

It is said that he movie theaters had a certain aroma before air conditioning.

[SunkenCiv]

There were public urinals, set up and operated by the fullers, because urine was used to process wool. Emperor Vespasian, the builder of the Colosseum (he didn’t finish it, but his son did) implemented a tax on those, the story will turn up on FR once in a while, or in a web search. There were also crappers in the public baths.

Here’s some whiner whining about how bad they were:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/01/ancient-roman-toilets-gross/423072/

[LibertyWoman]

Awesome findings. I saw this article on DM earlier but decided not to post it because of the type of comments as seen on this thread.

Absolutely fascinating. It's been a lifelong dream to go to Italy and visit the ancient ruins; Rome, Herculaneum, Pompeii etc.

[SunkenCiv]

Not if it was a Lion *named* Santa Claws.

/rimshot

Are you not entertained? That’s the mane thing.

[SunkenCiv]

Some of that “trail mix” recovered looks like it could be planted and grown. :^)

[SunkenCiv]

Or now. :^)

[dynachrome]

Indeed. Stale popcorn and pot vapours.

[M1903A1]

“Larks’ tongues”

But were they in aspic?

[Rummyfan]

Hey, you go to the games, you might want a snack and a bevvie.