Part 18 (1/2)

[190] Liv. x.x.xix. 29.

[191] Varro _R.R_. ii. 5. II Pasc.u.n.tur armenta commodissime in nemoribus, ubi virgulta et frons multa. Hieme secundum mare, aestu abiguntur in montes frondosos.

[192] Nitzsch _Die Gracchen_ p. 16.

[193] Nitzsch op. cit. p. 17.

[194] Cic. _de Off_. ii. 25. 89. So in Cato's more reasoned estimate (_R.R_. i. 7) of the relative degrees of productivity, although _vinea_ comes first (cf. p. 80) yet _pratum_ precedes _campus frumentarius_.

[195] App. _Hannib_. 61.

[196] App. l.c.; Gell. x. 3. 19.

[197] Nitzsch _Die Gracchen_ p. 193 So zerfiel denn Mittelitalien in zwei scharf-getheilte Halften, den ackerbauenden Westen und den viehzuchttreibenden Osten; jener reich an Hafen, von Landstra.s.sen durchschnitten, in einer Menge von Colonien oder einzelnen Gehoften von Romischen Ackerburgern bewohnt; dieser fast ohne Hafen, nur von einer Kustenstra.s.se durchschnitten, fur den grossen Romer der rechte Sitz seiner Sclaven und Heerden. Cf. p. 21. For the pasturage in Calabria and Apulia see op. cit. pp. 13 and 193.

[198] Liv. xxviii. II; cf. Luc. _Phars_. i. 30.

[199] Dureau de la Malle (economie Politique ii. p. 38) compares the precept of the Roman ”Quid est agrum bene colere? bene arare. Quid secundum? arare. Tertio stercorare” with the adage of the French farmer ”Fumez bien, labourez mal, vous recueillerez plus qu'en fumant mal et en labourant bien”.

[200] See Dreyfus _Les lois agraires_ p. 97. Varro (_R.R_. i. 12. 2) is singularly correct in his account of the nature of the disease that arose from the _loca pal.u.s.tria_:--Cresc.u.n.t animalia quaedam minuta, quae non possunt oculi consequi, et per aera intus in corpus per os ac nares perveniunt atque efficiunt difficilis morbos. The pa.s.sage is cited by Voigt (Iwan-Muller's _Handbuch_ iv. 2. p. 358) who gives a good sketch of the evils consequent on neglect of drainage.

[201] Nitzsch _Die Gracchen_ p. 228.

[202] Polyb. x.x.xvii. 4.

[203] Nitzsch _Die Gracchen_ p. 237.

[204] Polyb. x.x.xvii. 3.

[205] Polyb. ii. 15.

[206] For such purchases from Sardinia see Liv. x.x.xvi. 2, from Sicily (at a period later than that which we are considering) Cic. _in Verr_.

iii. 70, 163.

[207] Cf. Cato _R.R_. i. 3 (In choosing the situation of one's estate) oppidum validum prope siet aut mare aut amnis, qua naves ambulant, aut via bona celebrisque.

[208] For the traditions which a.s.sign a very early date for laws dealing with the _ager publicus_ see the following chapter, which treats of the legislation of Tiberius Gracchus.

[209] App, _Bell. Civ_. i. 7 [Greek: _taes de gaes taes doriktaetou sphisin ekastote gignomenaes taen men exeirgasmenaen autika tois oikizomenois epidiaeroun hae epipraskon hae exemisthoun, taen d' argon ek tou polemou tote ousan, hae dae kai malista eplaethyen, ouk agontes po scholaen dialachein, epekaerytton en tosode tois ethelousin ekponein epi telei ton etaesion karpon_].

[210] For the evidence for this and other statements connected with the _ager publicus_ see the citations in the next chapter.

[211] In consequence of the doubtfulness of the traditions concerning early agrarian laws this time cannot even be approximately specified.

See the next chapter.

[212] Tradition represents the first laws dealing with the _ager publicus (e. g_. the supposed _lex Licinia_) as earlier than the _lex Poetelia_ of 326 B.C., which abolished the contract of _nexum_.

[213] Plut. _Ti. Gracch_. 8 [Greek: _hysteron de ton geitnionton plousion hypoblaetois prosopois metapheronton tas misthoseis eis eautous_.]

[214] App. _Bell. Civ_. i. 7 [Greek: _oi gar plousioi ... ta ... anchou sphisin, osa te haen alla brachea penaeton, ta men onoumenoi peithoi ta de bia lambanontes, pedia makra anti chorion egeorgoun_.] Cf. Seneca _Ep_. xiv. 2 (90). 39 Licet agros agris adjiciat vicinum vel pretio pellens vel injuria.