{"id":2665,"date":"2023-03-16T12:39:08","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T11:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=2665"},"modified":"2023-03-16T12:39:08","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T11:39:08","slug":"did-people-eat-melons-in-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/did-people-eat-melons-in-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"Did people eat melons in ancient rome?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Historians believe that people have been eating melons since ancient times. One of the earliest references to melons is in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the book of Numbers, Israelites travelling in the desert are said to have complained about the lack of melons. The Romans also mentioned melons in their writings. Pliny the Elder, a first-century Roman historian, wrote that melons were grown in Italy and that they were a popular food.<\/p>\n

There is no one answer to this question as it is not clear what is meant by “ancient Rome.” If the question is asking if people ate melons during the time of the Roman Empire, then the answer is most likely yes, as melons were a popular fruit during that time period. However, if the question is asking if people ate melons during the Roman Republic, then the answer is less clear, as there is no mention of melons in any major historical texts from that time period.<\/p>\n

What fruits did ancient Romans eat? <\/h2>\n

The ancient Romans used to eat a lot of fruit, including apples, pears, plums, chestnuts, figs, and grapes. However, they didn’t have access to citrus fruits until the 4th century AD. Among the apples, the most popular one was the quince, which was often made into jam.<\/p>\n

Watermelons were domesticated in north-east Africa, and cultivated in Egypt by 2000 BC. The sweet modern variety of watermelon spread across the Mediterranean world during Roman times. Today, watermelons are a popular summer fruit enjoyed by people all over the world.<\/p>\n

What were not eaten by ancient Romans <\/h3>\n