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The Roman Spice Trade: Pepper, Pleasure, and Empire
In this episode of The Story of Italy, Lucas and Luna explore how the Roman Empire's insatiable appetite for spices — especially black pepper — shaped trade routes, fueled luxury, and even influenced politics. From the pepper warehouses of the Horrea Piperataria on the Sacred Way to the spice markets of Alexandria and the Red Sea ports, we trace the journey of pepper from the Malabar Coast of India to Roman kitchens and apothecaries. We meet Pliny the Elder, who famously complained about the price of pepper, and the emperor Domitian, who built a dedicated pepper warehouse. We also look…
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