Roman cuisine descends from ancient times. The Roman Empire was formed after previous civilizations were assimilated, and after the empire was dismantled, new techniques, ingredients and traditions were introduced as well. The basics of food and dining in Rome though, remains the same.

" Traditionally, a breakfast called ientaculum was served at dawn. In the late morning, Romans ate a small lunch, and in the evening they consumed cena, the main meal of the day. With the influence of Greek culture and the increased importation of foreign foods, cena grew larger in size and more diverse in terms of the foods eaten. This meal gradually shifted to the afternoon, while vesperna, a light supper eaten in the evening was abandoned completely. Prandium, a second breakfast, was introduced around noon."

For the FULL article with plenty of details, click: Wikipedia article about Ancient Roman Cuisine.