In Chapter 28, we read about dormice (glires) being sold to slaves of Aurelia by merchants (mercatores) in the city of Rome. Here is a little info (from Wikipedia) about the edible dormouse.
It was farmed and eaten by the ancient Romans (usually as a snack), hence the word edible in its name. The dormice were kept and raised either in large pits or (in less spacious urban surroundings) in terra cotta containers, the gliraria, something like contemporary hamster cages.To this day, wild edible dormice are consumed in Slovenia, where they are considered a rare delicacy and dormouse trapping an ethnic tradition. Use of dormice for food and fur and of dormouse fat as a medicament is documented there since the 13th century. Seasonal dormice feasts were welcome protein supplements for the impoverished peasantry.
Here is a photo.
