The emergence of Rome’s far-flung territorial empire resulted in a sophisticated regime for the storage and distribution of foodstuffs to feed the city of Rome. How did the orchestration of this colossal apparatus impact the people living in the shadow of the epicenter of a Mediterranean empire? To answer this, my dissertation examines the storage and packaging containers for agricultural commodities in west-central Italy during the period ca. 200 BCE–200 CE. It argues that by studying these objects and considering them as processes, we start to recognize the craftsmen, the skill, the manpower, and organization of labor required for these activities. My project examines artifacts from Cosa, Pompeii, Ostia, and Rome; iconographic representations; and documentary and literary sources. I combine archival research and study of previously excavated materials to use containers to illuminate the lived experiences and social interactions of the individuals who propelled an imperial food supply.