Thomas J. Derrick/The Conversation The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armor – when people imagine ancient Rome, they often think of its sights and sounds. We know less, however, about the scents of ancient Rome. We cannot, of course, go back and sniff to find out. But the literary texts, physical remains of structures, objects, and environmental evidence (such as plants and animals) can offer clues. So what might ancient Rome have smelled like? [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"134334","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"427","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]] Latrine at Villa Romana del Casale. (© José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro/ CC BY-SA 4.0) Honestly, often pretty rank In describing the smells of plants, author and naturalist
