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Why did Seneca say that the Georgics was written to delight readers rather than instruct farmers?

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Ancient Roman mosaic showing the poet Virgil seated and writing, flanked by the muses Clio and Melpomene, displayed in a decorative border. — Virgil Virgil (centre) holding a scroll with a quotation from the *Aeneid* and flanked by the muses Clio and Melpomene, mosaic, early 3rd century ce; in the Bardo National Museum, Tunis, Tunisia.

According to the Roman philosopher Seneca, the Georgics were written "not to instruct farmers but to delight readers".1

While the poem is didactic in form—providing practical guidance on tasks such as plowing, tending cattle, and keeping bees—it was composed by Virgil for a literary audience rather than for actual agricultural workers. The work is characterized by its vivid, impressionistic depictions of nature and highly wrought poetic digressions, such as those celebrating the beauty of the Italian countryside and the joys of the harvest. Ultimately, Virgil used the subject of rural life to create a sophisticated literary experience, prioritizing aesthetic and emotional resonance over the technical manualization of farming.21