Roman legions fought around two thousand years on the battlefield. They were not only the armed forces of Rome, they symbolized something much deeper. They were the unwavering and unstoppable symbol of the conquest of an empire. Theirgreat success can be attributed to their organization, their strict training and the diet of their men. And in this era, the consumption of EVOO was essential.
The diet of these centurians was not uniform. During the Republic, the army was in continuous movement, lurking in battles and conquests. Then, from 27 BC and onward, in the period of the High Empire, the army was given the role of safeguard in the territories already conquered in areas where barracks were located. The daily caloric intake in both cases differed greatly, it would have been between 4,000 and 6,000 calories per day. Their diet consisted of cereal, legumes, fruits, vegetables, olive oil and wine.
According to Dion Cassius (II century AD), Roman legionaries needed bread, which they themselves kneaded and cooked in portable ceramic ovens called clibanus. As a snack and for convenience in times of having to maneuver, they used to make a type of biscuit called bucellatum, which was based in olive oil, aromatic herbs, black olives and cereals.
EVOO became very important in the diet of the Roman Empire, so Julius Caesar incorporated it into the annona, the army’s food supply. This made the demand for EVOO increase greatly, due to the internal consumption of the army itself. Also, it became popular in the diet in Central and Northern Europe due to the fact that it was introduced thanks to the soldiers’ camps on the border.
Not only was it used to make biscuits, bread was made with EVOO,in order to enhance both its flavour and caloric intake. It was also used to preserve meat, as the army had a prata, an animal farm for its food supply. Here, they mainly raised cows, pigs, oxen and sheep. They did this so the soldiers could consume meat, milk and cheese as a source of protein.
Meats were also paired with EVOO and spices. Anything that was leftover was preserved in olive oil, or was seasoned or smoked.
There was no lack of EVOO in the Roman army. It nourished the Centurions in the front lines of the battle, illuminated lanterns during long nights of sleeplessness and helped the wounded of the battles to heal themselves. Roman EVOO was a true ally of victory.