Rough Roman Memes

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PugJesus@lemmy.world

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I'm given to understand Brits eat more fish nowadays (lemmy.world)

submitted 10 months ago by PugJesus@lemmy.world to c/roughromanmemes@lemmy.world

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[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

eating the fish you were shitting on would wipe out your tribe due to cholera and dysentry, they imported their water from local springs. They ate locally caught seafood but not freshwater fish. Carp were introduced by the Romans however the Romans had a means to wash the fish prior to consumption.

Interesting! I always just assumed that was Cassius Dio spouting off half-remembered rumors about those strange northern folk.

This suggests cultural matters may have been an influence.

[–] Maco1969@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

No, freshwater fish apart from predatory fish have never been on the menu in the UK, top feeding fish like trout or pike but never tench, bream or subsequent to the Romans, carp. The BBC article relates to one site and even there is a possibility that the aversion to fish was due to fecal contamination causing illness. In East Anglia scales from sea fish were common however apart from trout other local fish was not present in middens.