De agri cultura

work by Cato the Elder

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June 25, 2026

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De agricultura, by Cato the Elder, is the oldest surviving complete prose work in Latin, written around 160 BCE. This practical handbook offers insights into Roman agricultural practices and the transition from small landholdings to capitalistic farming in Latium and Campania.12

The work details the cultivation of grapevines and olives, as well as livestock management. Cato's farm model, described in the text, was a medium-sized estate of 200 iugera (about 150 acres) intended for the production of wine and oil for sale, rather than solely for subsistence. It was managed by a staff of slaves, reflecting the growing use of slave labor in Roman agriculture during that period. The book also includes information on old customs and superstitions, providing a window into the mindset of a 2nd-century Roman senator involved in farming.132

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agrarianism
Greek and Roman roots
…in his only surviving work, De agri cultura (On Farming), defended the honour of farming, offering moral prescription and wisdom alongside advice on the tilling and managing of land. The Roman poet Virgil’s highly praised Georgics, written in the last century bce and influenced by Hesiod, expresses a love for…
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…in his only surviving work, De agri cultura (On Farming), defended the honour of farming, offering moral prescription and wisdom alongside advice on the tilling and managing of land. The Roman poet Virgil’s highly praised Georgics, written in the last century bce and influenced by Hesiod, expresses a love for…
Read More

Marcus Porcius Cato
Cato’s only surviving work is De agri cultura (On Farming), a treatise on agriculture written about 160 bc. De agri cultura is the oldest remaining complete prose work in Latin. It is a practical handbook dealing with the cultivation of grape vines and olives and the grazing of livestock, but…
Read More
Cato’s only surviving work is De agri cultura (On Farming), a treatise on agriculture written about 160 bc. De agri cultura is the oldest remaining complete prose work in Latin. It is a practical handbook dealing with the cultivation of grape vines and olives and the grazing of livestock, but…
Read More

ancient Rome
Demographic and economic developments
…this period come from Cato’s De agricultura. Although based on Greek handbooks discussing estate management, it reflects the assumptions and thinking of a 2nd-century senator. Cato envisaged a medium-sized, 200-iugera farm with a permanent staff of 11 slaves. As with other Roman enterprises, management of the farm was left to…
Read More
…this period come from Cato’s De agricultura. Although based on Greek handbooks discussing estate management, it reflects the assumptions and thinking of a 2nd-century senator. Cato envisaged a medium-sized, 200-iugera farm with a permanent staff of 11 slaves. As with other Roman enterprises, management of the farm was left to…
Read More