Eating History: Italy

Rome was not built in a day but it certainly was ruled by food! In this episode, John Dickie reveals how grain shortages had emperors shaking in their sandals, and how they fed their fearsome army. John discovers what ancient Roman wine tasted like and how inbetween the battles in the Colosseum, the cadets cooked their lunch. Together with an Italian athlete, John subjects himself to the diet of the gladiators who far from eating a diet rich in protein like modern athletes, managed to survive their long training hours and battle in the arena on a diet of grain, washed down with a "sports drink" of vinegar and ash.