3-Days of Marching Rations

[Nathan Ross]

Below is a photo of a single day's ration.

I remember that some of the recipes in your 'Last Legionary' book sounded quite appealing, but seeing the ingredients laid out like that it does look a bit...meagre. I suppose if all the men in a tent-group combined their portions it may have produced something a bit more substantial though!

That heap of biscuits/hardtack reminds me of a meal I was treated (if that's the right word) to a few weeks ago in southern Italy - it was 'cucina povera', proper peasant food rather than the 'Italian cuisine' we often imagine so fondly... Anyway, the main course was a dish filled with chunks of dry stale bread that had been soaked in water then lightly sprinkled with olive oil. Just that - maybe a few chopped herbs on top. It combined sogginess and teeth-breaking crunchiness, but was surprisingly filling. Bit of sour sheep's-cheese to follow, a beaker of earthy wine and that's the lot. Perhaps not dissimilar to your Roman marching meal?