{"id":4546,"date":"2023-04-05T00:07:53","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T23:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=4546"},"modified":"2023-04-05T00:07:53","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T23:07:53","slug":"was-thier-tobacco-in-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/was-thier-tobacco-in-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"Was thier tobacco in ancient rome?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is little evidence to suggest that the ancient Romans smoked tobacco, although there is some evidence that they may have been aware of its existence. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) noted in his Natural History that there was a plant called nicotiana that grew in the region of modern-day Tunisia. This may have been the first recorded mention of tobacco, although it is not clear if Pliny was referring to the plant we know today as tobacco or another plant in the same family.<\/p>\n

There is no definitive answer to this question since there is no record of tobacco use in ancient Rome. However, some experts believe that the plant was introduced to Rome by the Spanish in the 16th century.<\/p>\n

What did they smoke in ancient Rome? <\/h2>\n

Hemp and cannabis are the same plant, and thus the ancient Greeks and Romans must have used it in their daily lives. Cultures parallel to the ancient Greeks and Romans, like the Egyptians, Scythians, and Hittites, were known to use cannabis in their medicine, religion and recreational practices.<\/p>\n

Tobacco use has been documented for over 8,000 years. Tobacco cultivation likely began in 5000 BC with the development of maize-based agriculture in Central Mexico. Radiocarbon methods have established the remains of cultivated and wild tobacco in the High Rolls Cave in New Mexico from 1400 – 1000 BC.<\/p>\n

Did ancient Greeks have tobacco <\/h3>\n