ice

[lepers]

how did the romans have ice?

[woofgang]

they used to ship it in from places like switzerland in summer, harvest their own in winter and store it in ice houses. (insulated underground buildings)

[lepers]

thought they'd have to do something like that, seems very labour intensive, but hey if u've got free labour! :op

[Octavius]

Greeks and Roman bought snow and ice imported on donkey trains. Few could afford private ice houses. Most urban residents bought it at snow shops. In Rome deep pits were filled with snow and covered with straw. Water melted and ran through forming a bottom layer of ice that sold at a premium. Snow could be more expensive than wine in ancient times.

[vehelpfulguy]

If you go and visit many old English country houses (owned by the National trust for example) they often have an ice house.

It is usually a deep hole in the ground, covered with a roof like an igloo. Ice from frozen lakes was cut up and placed in there during the winter, and then kept cold all summer in the ice house.

Of course only the rich could afford this.

[bubblebubble]

With vodka?