Pistor

“A baker, from pinsere, to pound, since corn was pounded in mortars before the invention of mills. At Rome bread was originally made at home by the women of the house; and there were no persons at Rome who made baking a trade, or any slaves specially kept for this purpose in private houses, till B.C. 173. The name was also given to pastry-cooks and confectioners, in which case they were usually called pistores dulciarii or candidarii. Bread was often baked in moulds called artoptae, and the loaves thus baked were termed artopticii. In one of the bake-houses discovered at Pompeii, several loaves have been found apparently baked in moulds, which may therefore be regarded as artoptieii; they are represented in the preceding cut. They are flat, and about eight inches in diameter. Bread was not generally made at home at Athens, but was sold in the market-place chiefly by women. These women seem to have been what the fish-women of London are at present; they excelled in abuse.” — Smith, 1873

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