Did the Ancient Romans Eat Meat? Unpacking the Roman Diet
                                
                                
                                •
                                
                                
                        
                                    
                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                While archaeological evidence shows that the Roman diet was primarily plant-based, did the ancient Romans eat meat is a question with a complex answer. Meat was a marker of wealth and status, enjoyed frequently by the elite and only occasionally by the poor. This class divide shaped everything from the type of animals consumed to the ways they were prepared.