Ancient Roman architecture could penetrate through the clerestory windows. The oldest known basilica, the Basilica Porcia, was built in Rome in 184 BC by Cato the Elder during the time he was Censor. Other early examples include the basilica at Pompeii (late 2nd century BC). After Christianity became the official religion, the basilica shape was found appropriate for the first large public churches, with the attraction of avoiding reminiscences of the Greco-Roman temple form. The Roman circus was a large open-air venue used for public events in the ancient Roman Empire. The circuses were similar to the ancient Greek hippodromes, although circuses served
Ancient Roman cuisine authors: Pliny the Elder described cheese's dietary and medicinal uses in Book 28 of "Historia Naturalis", and Varro in "De Agricultura" described the Roman cheesemaking season (spring and summer) and compared soft, new cheeses with drier, aged cheeses. The most extensive description of Roman cheesemaking comes from Columella, from his treatise on Roman agriculture, "De Re Rustica". "Juscellum" was a broth with grated bread, eggs, sage and saffron, described in "Apicius", a Roman recipe book of the late 4th or early 5th century. Garum was the distinctive fish sauce of ancient Rome. It was used as a seasoning, in place