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More Cato! Dear god these sections are long. Also, because of a corrective email from the professor, it turns out I need to back up and do the introductory section, too. Which for some reason is not labeled #1. So. We’ll see how close I come to actually getting my homework (six sections! dear go!) finished before tomorrow.
Then I can start on the Greek!
De Agricultura, Section 2.
The family father, when he has come to the villa, when he has greeted the family gods, should, if possible, walk around the estate on the same day; if not on the same day, then the following day. When he has learned by what method the estate has been cultivated and what works have been finished or unfinished, on the following day he should call that day’s steward, ask what of the work has been done, what remains, whether the works will be finished early enough, whether it is possible to finish what is left, and what is done of the wine, of the grain, and of all the other things.
When he has learned these things, it is appropriate to undertake a plan for works and for days. If the work is not evident to him, if the steward says he has done it diligently, that the slaves are not well, that the storms were terrible, that the slaves ran away, that he did public work,* when he has given these and many other reasons, call the steward back to the plan for the works and the labor-hours.**
When there are storms of rain, these are the tasks that can be performed during heavy rain: wine-jars sealed with pitch***, the villa cleaned out, grain moved, manure carried outdoors, a manure-pile made, seed cleaned, ropes repaired, new [ropes] made, and the family ought to repair patchwork hoods for themselves.^ During the holidays it’s possible for old ditches to be cleaned, the public road built, thorn-bushes cut back, the garden dug up, the meadow cleaned, sprouts tied [to stakes], thorns uprooted, grain weighed out, cleanliness achieved.
When these things are known in a calm mind, take care over what works remain so that they will be completed; think of plans for the money, the grain, and the cattle feed, for the sake of what’s been prepared; plans for wine, for oil, what has been sold, what is collected, what is to be sold; acceptable guarantees should be accepted; what is remaining should add up. Whatever is under in a year he should prepare; whatever remains over, he should sell.
He should keep in mind the cattle; how he should make an auction; he should sell the olive oil if he has [the right] price; he should sell the leftover wine and grain; he should sell the elderly cattle. He should sell the blemished cows, blemished sheep, wool, hides, an old wagon, old iron tools, an old slave, a sick^^ slave, and if anything remains he should sell it. It behooves the father of a family to be a seller, not a buyer.
Introduction
Let it be agreed that sometimes the acquisition of money by trade is preferable, unless it is rather dangerous, and likewise to be loaned money^^^, if one is quite honorable. Our ancestors had it thus, and in the laws they set it so: they condemned the thief twice, and the money-lender four times. From this it is possible to estimate how much worse the state considered the money-lender than the thief.
And a good man whom they praised, they praised in this way, as a good farmer and a good landowner. He was most especially considered worthy of praise, who was praised in this manner. However, I consider a merchant who’s quick and zealous in seeking money, in truth, as I said to the greatest degree, to be dangerous and disastrous. But the bravest men and strongest soldiers were born from farmers, and one follows the stable profit most greatly and the unethical profit least of all, and they think least wickedly who are occupied in this pursuit.
Now, as I return to the matter, which intention I have promised, this will be the principle.
---
* That is, maintenance of the public roads, as could be required of the landowners adjoining them.
** My footnote helpfully says this word is referring to “man-days” or “work-units”, so...yeah. Something like that.
*** Or possibly washed with...something. The closest match I can find to “picari” is “pitch”, but in that case it doesn’t make sense to take “lavari” as “to be washed” as I otherwise would.
^ Or at least, that’s my best guess from a combination of the family, “to repair”, and what my dictionary gives as “patchwork quilts or cushions for defense” next to “a hood, cowl, cap on a cloak”.
^^ Or possibly a “debauched” slave, but it looks like the disease definition is the older, and thus more likely to be accurate here.
^^^ I could not for the life of me work out what this word was. I am guessing based on context.
Then I can start on the Greek!
De Agricultura, Section 2.
The family father, when he has come to the villa, when he has greeted the family gods, should, if possible, walk around the estate on the same day; if not on the same day, then the following day. When he has learned by what method the estate has been cultivated and what works have been finished or unfinished, on the following day he should call that day’s steward, ask what of the work has been done, what remains, whether the works will be finished early enough, whether it is possible to finish what is left, and what is done of the wine, of the grain, and of all the other things.
When he has learned these things, it is appropriate to undertake a plan for works and for days. If the work is not evident to him, if the steward says he has done it diligently, that the slaves are not well, that the storms were terrible, that the slaves ran away, that he did public work,* when he has given these and many other reasons, call the steward back to the plan for the works and the labor-hours.**
When there are storms of rain, these are the tasks that can be performed during heavy rain: wine-jars sealed with pitch***, the villa cleaned out, grain moved, manure carried outdoors, a manure-pile made, seed cleaned, ropes repaired, new [ropes] made, and the family ought to repair patchwork hoods for themselves.^ During the holidays it’s possible for old ditches to be cleaned, the public road built, thorn-bushes cut back, the garden dug up, the meadow cleaned, sprouts tied [to stakes], thorns uprooted, grain weighed out, cleanliness achieved.
When these things are known in a calm mind, take care over what works remain so that they will be completed; think of plans for the money, the grain, and the cattle feed, for the sake of what’s been prepared; plans for wine, for oil, what has been sold, what is collected, what is to be sold; acceptable guarantees should be accepted; what is remaining should add up. Whatever is under in a year he should prepare; whatever remains over, he should sell.
He should keep in mind the cattle; how he should make an auction; he should sell the olive oil if he has [the right] price; he should sell the leftover wine and grain; he should sell the elderly cattle. He should sell the blemished cows, blemished sheep, wool, hides, an old wagon, old iron tools, an old slave, a sick^^ slave, and if anything remains he should sell it. It behooves the father of a family to be a seller, not a buyer.
Introduction
Let it be agreed that sometimes the acquisition of money by trade is preferable, unless it is rather dangerous, and likewise to be loaned money^^^, if one is quite honorable. Our ancestors had it thus, and in the laws they set it so: they condemned the thief twice, and the money-lender four times. From this it is possible to estimate how much worse the state considered the money-lender than the thief.
And a good man whom they praised, they praised in this way, as a good farmer and a good landowner. He was most especially considered worthy of praise, who was praised in this manner. However, I consider a merchant who’s quick and zealous in seeking money, in truth, as I said to the greatest degree, to be dangerous and disastrous. But the bravest men and strongest soldiers were born from farmers, and one follows the stable profit most greatly and the unethical profit least of all, and they think least wickedly who are occupied in this pursuit.
Now, as I return to the matter, which intention I have promised, this will be the principle.
---
* That is, maintenance of the public roads, as could be required of the landowners adjoining them.
** My footnote helpfully says this word is referring to “man-days” or “work-units”, so...yeah. Something like that.
*** Or possibly washed with...something. The closest match I can find to “picari” is “pitch”, but in that case it doesn’t make sense to take “lavari” as “to be washed” as I otherwise would.
^ Or at least, that’s my best guess from a combination of the family, “to repair”, and what my dictionary gives as “patchwork quilts or cushions for defense” next to “a hood, cowl, cap on a cloak”.
^^ Or possibly a “debauched” slave, but it looks like the disease definition is the older, and thus more likely to be accurate here.
^^^ I could not for the life of me work out what this word was. I am guessing based on context.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject