Nutmeg and Garum: August 2023

Monday, August 14, 2023

After Action Report: Nova Britannia Meeting & Roman Beverage Presentation

Monday, August 14th, 2023, 7:00 p.m. - 7:53 p.m.

Participants: Sibylla Ambrosia Fulvia

Numerius Octavius Astronomus

Aulus Iulius Paterculus

The first eight minutes or so of the meeting were spent on casual conversation, as we waited for any others to arrive. Astronomus was on the train home after a convention. Sibylla's spice business had been very successful.

I then gave my presentation on Roman beverages, which took about half an hour, divided into sections on wine, posca, water, and beer (roughly their order of popularity in the Roman Empire). There was some give and take during the meeting as well - we talked about the wine and posca served during past and future Nova Britannia events. Sibylla shared some facts about wine exported from the empire.

After the presentation was over, Astronomus asked about mead and milk as beverages known to the Romans. My research had barely touched on either, but the three of us were able to pool our background knowledge and speculate a bit.

It was agreed that Astronomus would present at our next general meeting, either on Latin poetry or Roman cartography.

I touched on plans for the potential Nova Britannia conventus in 2025, asking for a volunteer to go to New Haven to help reserve space in one of the parks. It was proposed that this be done during the 2024 MithraCon.

Information for my presentation was derived from the following sources:

https://pass-the-garum.blogspot.com/2013/09/posca.html

https://mymodernmet.com/what-did-the-romans-eat-drink/

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0137:book=14:chapter=19

Tasting History with Max Miller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdOPg-4_R60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40uw6VkWpaI

Weird History:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIFNyh0npAo

Told in Stone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v47GdygZog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rhT7EkTgu0