ientaculum

Ientaculum is a Latin term used to designate the morning meal in ancient Rome. The word appears in Latin texts with variations in spelling, including ientaculum and jentaculum, reflecting shifts in orthography between early and late Latin. It refers specifically to the first meal of the day, typically eaten after waking.

In the Roman daily meal pattern, ientaculum was usually a light, practical meal taken at the start of the day. It was often simpler than the later main meal, cena, and its frequency and content depended on the wearer’s social status and schedule. Slaves and laborers might grab a quick bite before work, while wealthier Romans could have a more substantial breakfast, though still generally modest by modern standards.

Typical ientaculum foods include bread, often eaten with oil or cheese; olives and fruit were common accompaniments; eggs and light pastries could appear on occasion, and leftovers from the previous day were not uncommon. Beverages typically included water and, when available, diluted wine. The exact composition varied with region, season, and personal preference, but the overarching pattern was a simple, early meal designed to sustain activity until the mid-day prandium, the next formal feeding.

Historically, the concept of a distinct breakfast persisted as part of Roman meal practice, though the relative importance and exact timing of ientaculum varied over time and across social strata. In late antiquity and later medieval periods, meal patterns evolved further, and the conventional ice of a clearly defined “breakfast” gradually changed across cultures, while the Latin term ientaculum remains a classical reference to Rome’s morning meal.