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Why did the Georgics call for the restoration of agriculture in Italy?

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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.

The Georgics, composed by Virgil between 37 and 30 BCE, served as a powerful plea for the restoration of traditional agricultural life in Italy, which had been devastated by years of civil war.12

The call for restoration was driven by several key factors:

Rural Depopulation: One of the most disastrous consequences of the civil wars was the neglect and ruin of Italian farms, as farmers were forced to leave their land to serve in the military.1
National Requirement: Virgil’s desire to see Italy restored to its former glory aligned with the government's need to resettle the land and diminish the population pressure on cities.1
Moral and Cultural Revival: The work encouraged a return to traditional Italian virtues—such as duty, responsibility, and parsimony—and sought to reawaken a sense of national pride.134
Political Alignment: While not mere propaganda, the poem reflected Virgil’s personal commitment to the ideals of the Augustan regime, which aimed to establish peace, stability, and a revival of ancestral traditions.13

Ultimately, the Georgics portrayed the cultivation of the land as a noble endeavor that created the glory of the Italian countryside.3