Roman Ghosts & Olive Oil Crimes – History Never Tasted So Good

Two Wild Roman Olive Oil Facts You’ll Want to Drizzle Over Everything

Did you know the ancient Romans took their olive oil very seriously? Like… death-seriously.

Here are two olive-oil-soaked gems from the archives of history that we couldn’t resist sharing:

Anointing the Afterlife

When a Roman citizen passed on, they weren’t just buried or cremated—they were anointed. The body was lovingly rubbed with olive oil (yes, like the good stuff) as part of the funeral rites. Olive oil symbolized purity, reverence, and the soul's preparation for the next journey. Honestly, what better final tribute than a farewell bath in liquid gold?

Death by Dodgy Olive Oil?

It turns out the Romans didn’t mess around when it came to quality. If you were supplying olive oil to the army or public granaries and tried to sneak in low-grade swill, you were flirting with serious consequences. Some records suggest that if the fraud was bad enough, you could even be sentenced to death. Now that’s what we call a zero-tolerance policy for bad taste.

Moral of the story?

At Extra Virgin Olive Oil Direct, we channel the same ancient obsession with purity (minus the executions). Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is cold-pressed, lab-tested, and flavor-packed—fit for emperors, soldiers, and home chefs alike.

👉 Shop our range now

Because history has spoken: only the best olive oil will do.