Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

PILANI.

297

PLAUSTRL'M.

larger than the pila. The Harpastum (from
op7rdfa>) seems to have been the name of a
ball, -which was thrown among the players,
each of whom endeavoured to catch it.
PILANI. [Exercitus, p. 168 6.]
PILENTUM, a splendid four-wheeled car-
riage, furnished with soft cushions, which
conveyed the Roman matrons in sacred pro-
cessions and in going to the Circensian and
other games. The pilentum was probably
very like the Harmamaxa and Cabpentum,
but open at the sides, so that those who sat
in it might both see and be seen.

PILEUS or PILEUM (ttiAos, mArj/xa, irt-
AcotoV), any piece of felt; more especially a
skull-cap of felt, a hat. There seems no
reason to doubt that felting is a more ancient
invention than weaving [Tela], nor that
both of these arts came into Europe from
Asia. From the Greeks, who were ac-
quainted with this article as early as the age
of Homer, the use of felt passed together
with its name to the Romans. Its principal
use was to make coverings of the head for
the male sex, and the most common one was
a simple skull-cap.—Among the Romans the
cap of felt was the emblem of liberty. "When
a slave obtained his freedom he had his head
shaven, and wore instead of his hair an un-
dyed pileus. This change of attire took
place in the temple of Feronia, who was

PetiiKUZ, Cap, worn by :i Greek Soldier. (From a G

the goddess of freedmen. Hence the phrase
servos ad pileitm vocare. is a summons to
liberty, by which slaves were frequently
called upon to take up arms with a promise
of liberty. The figure of Liberty on some
of the coins of Antoninus Pius, struck a. D.
145, holds this cap in the right hand. The
Petasus (n-eTacros) differed from the pileus or
simple skull-cap in having a wide brim : the
etymology of the word, from 77eTcu<cu/xi, ex-
presses the distinctive shape of these hats.
It was preferred to the skull-cap as a protec-
tion from the sun.
PILUM. [Hasta.]
PISCINA. [Balneum.]
PISTOR (apT07roi6s), 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bread was originally made at home by the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 confec-
tioners, in which case they were usually
calledpistores dulciarii or eandidarii. Bread
was often baked in moulds called artoptae,
and the loaves thus baked were termed ar-
toptidi. Bread was not generally made at
home at Athens, but was sold in the market-
place, chiefly by women, called apron-wAiSts.
These women seem to have been what the
fish-women of London are at present ; they
excelled in abuse.

PLAGIA1UUS. [Plagium.]
PLAGIUM, the offence of kidnapping,
concealing, and selling freemen and other
persons' slaves was the subject of a Fabia
Lex (b.c. 183). The penalty of the lex was
pecuniary; but this fell into disuse, and
persons who offended against the lex were
punished according to the nature of their
offence ; under the empire they were gene-
rally condemned to the mines. The word
Plagium is said to come from the Greek 7rAa-
•ytos, oblique, indirect, dolosus. He who com-
mitted plagium was plagiariUB, a wdrd which
Martial applies to a person who falsely gave
himself out as the author of a hook ; and in
this sense the word has come into common
use in our language.

PLAUSTRUM or PLOSTRUM (afiofo), a
cart or waggon. It had commonly two
wheels, but sometimes four, and it was then
called the plaustrutn majus. Besides the
wheels and axle the plaustrum consisted of a
strong pole {temo), to the hinder part of
which was fastened a table of wooden planks.
The blocks of stone, or other things to be car-
ried, were either laid upon this table without
any other support, or an additional security