In Roman times Arugula was grown for both it's leaves and the seed. The seed was used for flavoring oils.  On another interesting note, Rocket or Arugula seed has been used as an ingredient in aphrodisiac concoctions dating back to the first century, AD. (Cambridge World History of Food).

 

Part of a typical Roman meal was to offer a salad of greens, frequently Arugula ( spelled Arugola), romaine, chicory, mallow and lavender and seasoned with a "cheese sauce for lettuce"

Like most salad greens, Arugula is very low in calories and is high in vitamins A and C. A ½ cup serving is two calories.

This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Zinc and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Manganese

Also known as rocket, roquette, rugula and rucola, arugula is popular in Italian cuisine. It may appear as a trendy new green, but was actually planted in colonial times in the United States and has been in and out of our colonial and medicinal vocabulary ever since. In Roman times Arugula was used for both its leaves and the seed, which were used for flavoring oils. “The name rocket . . . . is well documented in the old literature of the Holy Land . . . Most scientists agree that this is the garden vegetable mentioned in the Bible . . . . as Oroth. Many sources are mentioned in the Mishna and the Talmud about rocket’s uses in the Holy Land during the Hellenistic period, as a spice, a food, and a medicine.” (Yaniv, Shafferman). They cite its use as a treatment for eye infections, an aphrodisiac, a deodorant, a protection against dog bites, a digestive aid, a garden pest deterrent and finally a culinary subject: salad green and spice. According to ancient traditions, eating arugula will bring you good luck.