Vegan Forum

[BigBecka]

Our perception of physical perfection can be summed up by the Roman Gladiator

Did you know that Gladiators were vegan?

Archaeologists examining the remains of gladiators in Turkey have concluded that they were vegan, because of the wear to their teeth and the levels of zinc in their bones. Gladiators are sometimes referred to as "hordearii" which means "barley men." Historical accounts say that they ate mainly barley and beans, and also charred wood and bone ash which maintained their calcium levels. http://www.archaeology.org/0811/abstrac ... iator.html

The gladiators' diet was so high in carbohydrates that they would have been fat It is thought that the layer of fat allowed the gladiators to sustain flesh wounds, which look spectacular in the arena but are not life threatening.

[AndyBa]

Wow! That is an interesting theory. What were the reasons for them to be vegan?

[bsaw001]

I'm impressed! I didn't know that they were vegan, I thought and imagined them to be flesh loving people.

[cassiopeia]

wow! That was a amazing fact! I never thought of that Since they were rated as purely men and strong. And, when you say that, comes into your mind is meat.

[BigBecka]

The sources I've seen seemed to think that Gladiators were eating a lot of carbs to give them the energy to train every day (the same as modern athletes), and that they wanted to be fat in order to sustain flesh wounds. But I don't know why they were completely vegan. Maybe meat and dairy were too expensive?

Any archaeology experts on here?!