The Ancient Snacks Served At The Roman Colosseum

The next time you grab a snack at a sports event, take a moment to think about our ancient Roman counterparts. Ancient Romans who attended games at the Colosseum (also known as the Flavian Amphitheater) enjoyed munching on fruit and other snacks while they watched gladiators and wild beasts fight. It turns out that those peanuts and hot dogs you picked up from the vendor are part of a centuries-old snacking tradition.

In 2021, archaeologists explored the iconic Roman amphitheater's sewers and hydraulic system, which fell into disuse sometime between 404 C.E., when emperor Honorius abolished gladiator games, and 523 C.E., when Romans stopped using the Colosseum for public events. The archaeologists discovered the ancient remains of Roman spectators' trash and compiled a list of snacks consumed in the Colosseum's stands and walkways.

Ancient Romans enjoyed many types of snacks while they were watching the games. Some were simple and portable, including olives, peaches, walnuts, berries, grapes, figs, and melons. Others were more elaborate. The archaeologists found evidence that meats were cooked on small, portable braziers. They also believe that ancient visitors to the Colosseum ate a form of pizza. Of course, this "pizza" would not have looked like the slices you can buy at stadiums today because tomatoes had not yet arrived in Italy. Instead, it would have resembled a modern-day focaccia. We know the ancient Romans ate focaccia-like flatbread thanks to a fresco unearthed in Pompeii in 2023. This fresco shows a fruit-topped, spice-garnished focaccia on a silver tray with wine and other food items.

Excavations in Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the ancient port city of Ostia Antica reveal a thriving street food culture. Romans could grab a snack or some hot food and a hot or cold drink at a thermopolium (also called a popina), which had a marble counter facing the street. Amphorae — terra cotta pots containing food — could be stored under the counter, which had holes cut into it so that the proprietor could serve customers quickly. It's easy to imagine a group of ancient Romans stopping at a thermopolium to grab snacks and drinks en route to the Colosseum.

Thermopolia were plentiful in Rome, probably because working-class Romans lived not in a large domus, or townhouse, but in an insula, a high-rise apartment building constructed of brick and wood. Fire outbreaks were common and Roman summers were hot. Buying food at a thermopolium instead of cooking at home could address both concerns.

Roman take-out foods included lentils, nuts, cooked meats, baked cheeses, and mulled wine with unconventional spices like saffron and coriander. Ancient Romans could pick up bread or flatbread at a bakery, then top it with olives, cheeses, and fruits. Olives, olive oil, anchovies, garum (a sauce made from fermented fish and salt), and herbs were put on everything. Fruits and vegetables were available at local markets. Trajan's Market, opened in 113 C.E., contained a number of food stalls — convenient for those walking to the Colosseum via the Roman Forum.