Ancient Roman History

 Savannah Opens a Roman Popinas!

A popina was an ancient Roman wine bar, where a limited menu of simple foods (olives, bread, stews) and selection of wines of varying quality were available. The popina was a place for men of the lower classes of Roman society (slaves, freedmen, foreigners) to socialize.  Savannah opened her popina up just for one night.  We drank MonaVie and had a yummy soup, cecina (pureed garbonzo beans, olive oil, and basil), olives, pita bread, and a yogurt sauce.  Savannah had a great time creating her menu, setting up her stand, cooking with mom, and selling us her food. 

We learned about and made Roman Fasces one day.  The traditional Roman fasces consisted of a bundle of white birch rods, tied together with a red leather ribbon into a cylinder, and often including a bronze axe (or sometimes two) amongst the rods, with the blade(s) on the side, projecting from the bundle.  It was used as a symbol of the Roman Republic in many circumstances, including being carried in processions, much the way a flag might be carried today.  Ours ended up looking more like an axe because we didn't have a bundle of sticks, but you get the idea.