Meanwhile grinding equipment progressed from the mortar and pestle to two flat stones and then, around 800 BCE in Mesopotamia, to stones that could rotate continuously Continuous milling made feasible the eventual use of animal, water, and wind power, and thus the grinding of grains into very fine flours with little human labor Greece and Rome Leavened loaves of bread arrived fairly late along the northern rim of the Mediterranean Bread wheat was not grown in Greece until about 400 BCE, and flat barley breads were probably the norm well after We do know that the Greeks enjoyed breads and cakes flavored with honey, anise, sesame, and fruits, and that they made both whole-grain and partly refined breads At least from the Greeks on, whiteness in bread was a mark of purity and distinction Archestratus, a contemporary of Aristotle and author of the Gastronomia, a compendious account of ancient Mediterranean eating whose title gave us the word “gastronomy,” accorded extravagant praise to a barley bread from the island of Lesbos on just these grounds, calling it “bread so white that it outdoes the ethereal snow in purity If the celestial gods eat barley bread, no doubt Hermes goes to Eresus to buy it for them.” By late Roman times, wheat bread was a central feature of life, and huge amounts of durum and bread wheats were imported from northern Africa and other parts of the empire to satisfy the public demand Pliny offers a touching reminder that enriched breads — early cakes and pastries — were great luxuries in turbulent times: Some people use eggs or milk in kneading the dough, while even butter has been used by peoples enjoying peace, when attention ... them.” By late Roman times, wheat bread was a central feature of life, and huge amounts of durum and bread wheats were imported from northern Africa and other parts of the empire to satisfy the public demand... word “gastronomy,” accorded extravagant praise to a barley bread from the island of Lesbos on just these grounds, calling it “bread so white that it outdoes the ethereal snow in purity If the celestial gods eat barley bread,.. .of Aristotle and author of the Gastronomia, a compendious account of ancient Mediterranean eating whose title gave us the word “gastronomy,” accorded extravagant