agricultural writers
agricultural writers
- Marco Formisano
Summary
In comparison with other technical and scientific disciplines, agriculture enjoyed a higher social and cultural status because of both its inherent utility for society and economy and its moral exemplarity, associated in Rome with the traditional respected “ways of the ancestors” (mos maiorum). The extant works of Cato, Varro, Columella, Gargilius Martialis, and Palladius testify to the long life of agricultural discourse throughout the history of Latin literature and beyond. While it is helpful to read these texts as belonging to a tradition, each of them has its own individual form, aims, and creative ambition.
Keywords
Subjects
- Latin Literature
- Science, Technology, and Medicine
Updated in this version
Article rewritten and expanded to reflect current scholarship.
