The greenhouse effect

According to the writings of Pliny the Elder, the first-century Roman emperor Tiberius was so fond of cucumbers he demanded his kitchen supply them all year round. A tall order, even in sunny Italy.

This the gardeners did by growing the veg in movable beds that could be wheeled out into the sun and which, on wintry days, were covered by glazed frames.

This was 50 years before the Romans mastered the technology of glass