chapter IV
Today is the 1930th anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Some scholars have disputed the date, placing the eruption in September instead. In support of September: jars of new autumn wine, people wearing heavier cloaks, and a coin that sort of looks like it was minted that month. In support of August: an eyewitness account with a fairly clear date, and jars of summer fish-pickle sauce.
Obviously the remaining Garum was based on the fact that the bay of Naples was coming to it’s senses with regards to actually eating that stuff, and unfortunately Vesuivius’s eruption eliminated the sort of common sense revolution that would have stabilized the empire for millennia.
(I suspect it doesn’t actually taste bad, I just can’t stand thinking about it or how it’s made)