It is often accepted that the Roman people loved farming almost as much as they loved war. My question to the /his/ knowers is simply: How do we know that they loved farming so much?
>>18291500>How do we know that they loved farming so much?Because they tell us so>But of all the occupations by which gain is secured, none is better than agriculture, none more profitable, none more delightful, none more becoming to a freeman.Marcus Tullius Cicero, On Duties
>>18291660Of course, some considered cattle raising, and not agriculture, to be the greatest occupation for a proper Roman.>One day Cato was asked, what is the most profitable aspect of property ownership? Cato answered, “Raising livestock with great success.” He was then asked about the second most profitable aspect of ownership. “Raising livestock with some success,” he answered. And what about the third most profitable aspect? “Raising livestock with little success.” And the fourth? “Raising crops.” Then his questioner asked, “What about money-lending?” Cato replied, “What about murder?”Again, Cicero, On Duties
>>18291680based. meanwhile retards on this very board will defend till the bitter end the natural human right to usury and muh ecomony
>>18291500>How do we know that they loved farming so much?We know because their aristocrats couldn’t shut the hell up about it
>>18291693Cato knew of the canaanite menace, that's why he constantly said "Carthago delenda est">It is in fact true that one may make a living by trade, if it were less dangerous, or even by money-lending, if it were honorable. Our forefathers thought this way and enshrined it in the laws to indemnify a thief doubly and a usurer by a factor of four. How much they considered a money-lender worse than a thief can be seen from this fact. When they used to praise a man as good, they would praise him by calling him a good farmer, a good land-owner—it was thought that to be praised in this way was the most impressive compliment.Marcus Porcius Cato, De Agri Cultura
>>18291680>>18291693>>18291709Cato and Cicero were Optimates whereas hotheaded figures like the Gracchi brothers and Julius Caesar were Populares. Caesar loved moneylenders so much he borrowed enormous sums to fund his ascent to power and was seen as helping the break up the system of latifundia which brought millions of slaves from Syria into Italy in favor of the plebs, which is what Cato and Cicero meant by "farming", and for this reason the seething Optimates killed him, but the Populares-Caesarian faction would eventually be victorious.
>>18291785>which is what Cato and Cicero meant by "farming"Cato was known for working in the fields alongside his slaves, he never shunned manual labour. It was even said that if one arrived in Cato's estate, the master couldn't be distinguished from the servants, for Cato worked alongside them, wore the same simple clothes and had the same simple meals.>Caesar loved moneylendersTyrants and bankers always walk hand in hand.
>>18291500Because they had so much grain they were literally giving it out for free to the citizens of Rome. Cura annonae, otherwise known as the 'grain dole'. Also, again, they wrote about agriculture a lot.
>>18291680god, we have to go back
Thank you so much for the insightful quotes and sources anons. Are there many Latin speakers here who could break down any interesting quirks of the language as it relates to farming? For example, it is commonly understood that a good portion of English vernacular relates to shipping and sailing, and I wonder if Latin is the same?
>>18291693The Romans had usury stupid fucker.
Near my house in Tuscany they found 2 roman farms not even 15km from each other, and who know how many more are buried
>>18291680usurers btfo
>>18291500>How do we know that they loved farming so much?They treated the Punic civilization with so much vitriol but cared to preserve their agricultural practices and adopt some of it aspects, even naming certain varieties of agricultural tools, crops and livestock in honor of Punic agriculture.Also, many of the modern vegetables, fruits and grains we know today were propagated by the Romans who then spread them culturally throughout their colonies. The modern varieties of cherry, apricot, plum, apple, fig, grape, etc. are indistinguishable from Roman varieties, which is impressive considering horticulture is often the most neglected branch of agriculture.
>>18294920>even naming certain varieties of agricultural tools, crops and livestock in honor of Punic agriculture.Really? like what? Are there any examples you know of? If it's not too much trouble for you to find them off the top of your head.
>>18291500>It is often accepted that the Roman people loved farming almost as much as they loved war.The elites loved farming as it was a great life; lounge around drinking wine and fucking cute slave girls while living in the pleasant countryside as you make money off your slaves doing all the farming.
