Lemon Becomes a Rich Man's Symbol in ancient Rome

The status symbol of a person in the past is characterized more simply

Beverage with lemon juice ingredients, Rey del Mojito - Image Credit Raimonsocial

Symbol status can be attached to a person in such a way, especially certainly seen from the many ownership of something, you can say it is money. It is easier for someone to show their ownership in various forms that show great wealth.

All things that can amaze anyone in the world, money and money, of course.

You know when times have changed, quoting an article on the site of CNN Indonesia, August 23, the status of a person is symbolized by various ownership of the latest jewelry, mobile phones, cars, or vehicles. But in the past all were represented more simply.

Try to serve your mind to a place in ancient Rome, a person's status symbolized by a lemon.

Certainly not just a statement without reason, according to new research from Tel Aviv University, a lemon and other citrus also be used as a marker of the rich man and owner of power.

Lemon is indeed a fruit of something, lemon is considered an expensive and rare fruit in the ancient Mediterranean. It is proven by various writings, art, artifacts, and various fossil plants including seeds, fruit, wheat, and coal, the researchers concluded the oranges did not grow in public until the 19th century.

You can imagine if there is a scarcity of lemons, so the price can be so expensive, only the rich and powerful people can afford it.

Dafna Langgut who led the study in her interview on the sites Extra Crispy.

"The first lemon was found in Rome, estimated around the time of Jesus Christ, at the end of the first century BC and the beginning of the first century AD."

No one argues when lemons are a precious commodity.

"It seems oranges are still considered a valuable commodity because it has a healing ability, as a status symbol, has a fragrant, and rare odor."

She agrees with the fact that the spread of citrus greatly assisted by the high social status, religious values, and a unique form, not on taste.

An interesting period in an era, lemons and other citrus fruits began to come to the Roman Empire and to the Southeast Asia in about the 4th and 5th centuries BC.


Lemon tree and fruits - Image Credit Kiyochan50

And now you can see the spread of this fruit to various regions, say like other relatively closer locations throughout the Mediterranean region. Even in the 10th century, limes, citrus and other citrus species came from Sicily and the Iberian Peninsula.

"But it is actually Muslim traders who play an important role in the spread of orange trees in North Africa and Southern Europe."

You can also find orange variant from Arabian peninsula.

"This is also evident from the many common names and types of oranges originating from Arabia, where Muslim traders take over the territory and trade routes from India to the Mediterranean."

Then came the sweeter orange variant, the second variant that reached Europe, just as the Byzantine Empire fell in the 15th century.

While in the 19 communities around the Mediterrannean region can enjoy the presence of a sweet mandarin orange.

"When mandarin oranges appear in the 19th century, citrus fruits are already considered ordinary fruits."

And that's the end of an era for lemons and oranges, fruits as a symbol of one's social status.

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Source: C Andhika Setyanti - CNN Indonesia, Extra Crispy
Image: Raimonsocial, and Kiyochan50 via Wikipedia