"Legionary! Befouling rations is a FLOGGING (unless one of your tentmates likes the topping)" (Ironlily)
12d 20h ago by piefed.social/u/PugJesus in roughromanmemes@piefed.social from media.piefed.social
Note: Panis quadratus often had a hole so multiple loaves could be carried on staffs, especially by street vendors. It was not a style made by legionaries on the march, and so the 'opportunity' generally would not arise even if the horny soldiers thought of it.
It was divided up like that so people could easily tear individual 'slices' out for eating. The convenience of modern civilization!
Being able to buy convenient food on the streets was important for many Romans, because after a fire or two (partially) burning down Rome, cooking at home was prohibited in apartment blocks to mitigate the associated fire risk.
No ban needed - street food was the norm even before the building code was revised in 64 AD! It's really inconvenient to try to cook in a tiny wooden apartment with only a few shutter-windows for airflow, danger aside. Basically all major urban civilizations end up outsourcing their working-class food preparation outside the home in one way or another.
I'm willing to bet it happened at least once, but I'm also willing to bet that the center was the hardest part to bake, and so cutting a hole in the center made sure that the hole loaf cooked more evenly more quickly.