Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Pistrinum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

PISTRI'NUM (μυλών). Originally signified the place where corn was brayed into flour by means of a large pestle and deep mortar, in the manner shown by the figure s. PILUM 1.; but after the invention of mills for grinding (MOLA), the same term was retained to designate the mill-house (Terent. Phorm. ii. 1. 19. Cic. Or. i. 11.), where the mills were driven by slaves, cattle, or water (Pallad. i. 42.); and which, in consequence of the laborious exertion required for grinding by hand, as well as the continuousness of the toil, for they were frequently kept going by night as well as day (Apul. Met. ix. p. 183.), was commonly used as a place of punishment for offending slaves, like our workhouse, where they were condemned to undergo a period of imprisonment with hard labour. Plaut. passim.