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Barley
#1
Supposedly the soldiers on punishment had to eat barley. Does anyone know how this would be fixed? Call me a masochist, but I'd like to try it.
>|P. Dominus Antonius|<
Leg XX VV
Tony Dah m

Oderint dum metuant - Cicero
Si vis pacem, para bellum - Vegetius
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#2
Who says it was broken?

Barley can be eaten boiled like wheat berries, ground into flour and used for all sorts of breads, etc., just like wheat. So my guess is, any way that wheat was used, barley could be used, too. Maybe they had Cream of Barley for breakfast? Not really facetious--that's not far from pulsum.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#3
Not even soldiers were said to have eaten barley. Supposedly barley was the main dish gladiators got to eat because it should've been good for building up muscles, that's why they were called hordearii (barley eaters).

Sorry but don't have a receipe at hand for "Gladiator Porridge" :?
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#4
Quote:Not even soldiers were said to have eaten barley. Supposedly barley was the main dish gladiators got to eat because it should've been good for building up muscles, that's why they were called hordearii (barley eaters).

I think you are mistaken about the soldiers not getting barley as punishment. I know that I've read it in a number of places. For original sources see Vegetius and Polybius. There may be others.

Quote:The new levies also should be taught by the masters at arms the system of drill called armatura, as it is still partly kept up among us. Experience even at this time convinces us that soldiers, perfect therein, are of the most service in engagements. And they afford certain proofs of the importance and effects of discipline in the difference we see between those properly trained in this branch of drill and the other troops. The old Romans were so conscious of its usefulness that they rewarded the masters at arms with a double allowance of provision. The soldiers who were backward in this drill were punished by having their allowance in barley. Nor did they receive it as usual, in wheat, until they had, in the presence of the prefect, tribunes, or other principal officers of the legion, showed sufficient proofs of their knowledge of every part of their study.

Quote:38 If the same thing ever happens to large bodies, and if entire maniples desert their posts when exceedingly hard pressed, the officers refrain from inflicting the bastinado or the death penalty on all, but find a solution of the difficulty which is both salutary and terror-striking. 2 The tribune assembles the legion, and brings up those guilty of leaving the ranks, reproaches them sharply, and finally chooses by lots sometimes five, sometimes eight, sometimes twenty of the offenders, so adjusting the number thus chosen that they form as near as possible the tenth part of p357those guilty of cowardice. 3 Those on whom the lot falls are bastinadoed mercilessly in the manner above described; the rest receive rations of barley instead of wheat and are ordered to encamp outside the camp on an unprotected spot. 4 As therefore the danger and dread of drawing the fatal lot affects all equally, as it is uncertain on whom it will fall; and as the public disgrace of receiving barley rations falls on all alike, this practice is that best calculated both the inspire fear and to correct the mischief.
>|P. Dominus Antonius|<
Leg XX VV
Tony Dah m

Oderint dum metuant - Cicero
Si vis pacem, para bellum - Vegetius
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#5
Quote:Call me a masochist, but I'd like to try it.
In fact barley can be quite yummy. (In beer, e.g. Smile ) Barley-bread, for instance.
Christian K.

No reconstruendum => No reconstruction.

Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas.
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#6
Quote:
Quote:Call me a masochist, but I'd like to try it.
In fact barley can be quite yummy. (In beer, e.g. Smile ) Barley-bread, for instance.
Do you have a recipe for barley bread? Historically appropriate of course. ;-) )
Thanks.
>|P. Dominus Antonius|<
Leg XX VV
Tony Dah m

Oderint dum metuant - Cicero
Si vis pacem, para bellum - Vegetius
Reply
#7
Forgive me if this book has been discussed before, but you may all be interested in getting a hold of "Food in Antiquity," John Wilkins, David Harvey, Mike Dobson, editors. I'm reading the book right now. One of the papers in there is "Barley Cakes and Emmer Bread." Also relating to corn/grain is "Cereals, Bread and Milling in the Roman World" and "Bread Baking in Ancient Italy"
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.redrampant.com">www.redrampant.com
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#8
I think part of the problem is barley in its germ can be very hard to properly cook and chew, or that barley can be very, very chewy and flavourless if cooked wrong, for too long a time, or without enough salt.

Alton Brown, of the show "Good Eats" on Food Network has an entire episode devoted to grains, and in it covers barley (and if I'm not mistaken, mentions the Romans as using it, as well).

Also, I'm not sure of the complete historical accuracy of this bread recipe (since the ingredients include baking powder), but it works very well from what I've seen:

[urlConfusedci8gwjx]http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33676,00.html[/url]
Lucius (Ryan)
Montani Semper Liberi
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#9
Isn't barley rich in collagen which promotes wound healing? IIRC I saw it mentioned as one of the reasons for gladiators eating it somewhere. It helps put a fatty layer on top of muscle, or something like that.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#10
Quote:Isn't barley rich in collagen which promotes wound healing? IIRC I saw it mentioned as one of the reasons for gladiators eating it somewhere. It helps put a fatty layer on top of muscle, or something like that.

Collagen, protein, amino acids, and several vitamins that are important to the healing process, especially in the formation of plasma, platelettes, and new tissue, if I've read the grain's nutritional information correctly.
Lucius (Ryan)
Montani Semper Liberi
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