Did olives in Ancient Rome taste different to modern olives?

Probably not significantly. We'll pass over the existence of thousands of different strains of olives, which meant that lots of places in antiquity as well as today had their own local kind of olive with its own specific flavor. There are technical aspects to how olives are treated which have an impact on their flavor. read more

An ancient Roman fresco portraying foods, a cup of olives among them | Source Olive oil in the ancient Mediterranean was often referred to as “liquid gold,” and was one of the most prized goods in the entire region. read more

Olives were one of the staples of Roman life just as they were/are of all the Mediterranean countries. The Romans, not only used them for food, but their oil was one of ancient Rome's major industries. Olive oil was used for cooking, lamp fuel, bathing, as a lubricating agent in machinery and in medicines. read more

The Romans are responsible for bringing about a significant increase in olive oil production beginning between 200 BC and AD 200. Olive oil production became semi-industrialized at sites such as Hendek Kale in Turkey, Byzacena in Tunisia and Tripolitania, in Libya, where 750 separate olive oil production sites have been identified. read more