What was imported from britain to rome

Coins were made of silver, gold, and sometimes bronze. The value of each coin was equal to the value of the metal it contained. Everyone learned to use the same coins, which made it much easier to set prices and to buy and sell goods and pay taxes. Besides making trade easier, coins helped the government to communicate with people. Inscriptions and images on the coins sent messages from Rome throughout the empire. The images on some coins symbolized values, qualities, or ideas that were important to the Romans.

When Americans see the Statue of Liberty, they think of freedom. For Romans, the goddess Felicitas stood for happiness. Emperors used the image of Felicitas to symbolize the blessings of Roman rule. Roman coins were different. At a time when there were no newspapers, radio, or television, emperors regularly issued new coins that reflected the news of the day.

The first emperor, Caesar Augustus, issued over types of coins during his long reign. Emperors also used coins to publicize their efforts and accomplishments. They put their own images on the coins. Augustus chose to show himself as a young man even after he had aged.

Often they added messages about victories in wars or important construction projects. Many messages were intended to persuade people that Roman rule was good for them. One coin, for example, showed a female figure holding a cornucopia a horn-shaped container overflowing with food and ears of grain.

The image was meant to communicate that the emperor was making sure his people had enough grain to make food. The Roman Empire was criss-crossed with trade routes. There were sea routes that covered the Mediterranean and Black Seas and numerous land routes using the roads built by the Romans.

Trade and moving the Roman Army around were the two principle reasons for building roads. The most important port was Ostia as it was the nearest major port to Rome itself. Ostia was situated at the mouth of the River Tiber and was only 15 miles from Rome. Many ships travelled between Ostia and the major North African city of Carthage, a journey that took between three and five days. Ships also arrived from Spain and France at Ostia. All their goods could be quickly moved to Rome itself as they were taken in barges to the city up the River Tiber after slaves had transferred the products from the merchant ships to the barges.

Ironically, Ostia was to play a major part in the downfall of Rome when Alaric the Goth captured Ostia in AD knowing that this would starve Rome of much needed food. Seafood was another important element of the Roman diet that became increasingly popular in Britain following the Roman conquest.

The Romans were particularly fond of shellfish, especially oysters, and some of the seafood supplies from coastal Britain became very highly prized, even in Rome. Oysters from Colchester became among the most appreciated in the Roman Empire, but oysters were also produced in other sites around Britain, as proved by the finding of oyster shell dumps dating back to Roman times. Still life with fishes and mussels.

Roman fresco from the House of Chaste Lovers, Pompeii. Another example is garum, the famous Roman fermented fish sauce, that was imported into Britain and then became more popular after the Roman invasion. The British elites were more influenced by the Roman way of life, and eating and drinking imported products was a way to demonstrate their higher social status.

The lower classes, though influenced to a lesser degree, still benefited from the introduction of the new vegetables and fruits. In AD, after more than years of domination, the Roman legions withdrew, ending Roman rule in Britain. With the departure of the Romans, Romano-British culture started to gradually disappear, along with most of the culinary traditions imported by the Romans.

However the permanent changes they introduced in agriculture survived their rule, and their legacy lives on in the fruits and vegetables they first brought to Britain. The site of Letocetum in Staffordshire started life around AD50 when the Roman army built a military post here during their advance on Wales….