THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY rOUNDKD BY JAMES LOBB, LI>.D. EDITED BY tT. E. PAGE, C.H., LITT.D. tE. CAPPS, PH.D., LL.D. tW. H. D. ROUSE, litt.d. L. A. POST, M.A. E. H. WARMINGTON, m.a., f.r.hist.soo. LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA ON AGRICULTURE II LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA ON AGRICULTURE WITH A RECENSION OF THE TEXT AND AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY fE. S. FORSTER, M.B.E., M.A.(Oxox.), F.S.A. EMERITUS PROFESSOR OP GREEK, SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY AND EDWARD H. HEFFNER, A.M., Ph.D. PROFESSOR OF LATIN, UKIVERSITT OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THREE VOLUMES II RES RUSTICA V-IX LONDON WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS MCMLIV Printed in Oreat Britain 610707 4. 7. S-b- CONTENTS PAGE Prefatory Note ..... vii SlOLA ....... xi Book V 2 Measurement and Shapes of Land— Number of Plants to be Set — Provincial Vineyards — Cultivation of Vines and Trees for Supporting them — Olive-trees and Nurseries — Pomiferous Trees — Grafting — Shrub-Trefoil. Book VI 118 Oxen, their Care and Diseases — Bulls and Cows — Breeding ^Diseases Horses Medicines Mules Diseases. Book VII 230 The Ass — Sheep — Diseases — the Goat — Diseases — Cheese-making — Pigs — Diseases — Dogs — Diseases. Book VIII 320 Birds and Fishes — Farmyard Poultry — Pigeons- Thrushes — Peafowl — Amphibious Birds — Ducks — Fishes. Book IX 420 Wild Animals — Bees, the Management of them, their Diseases and Pests — Honey — Wax. PREFATORY NOTE Owing to the death of Dr, Harrison Boyd Ash of ' the University of Pennsylvania shortly after the pub- lication of the first volume (Books I-IV) of the De Re Rustica of Columella, the Editors entrusted me with the remainder of the work. There has been no complete modern edition of the text since J. G. Schneider's (Leipzig 1794), but the principles laid down by Dr. Ash (Vol. I, p. xxi) appear to me to be entirely satisfactory. He describes them as follows : " The text and manu- script readings of the present edition, for Books I-H, Vl-Vn, X-XI and the De Arboribus, rest substantially on the work of Lundstrom. For Books ni-V, Vni-IX and XH, the translator has attempted to construct a critical text in some approximation to that of Lundstrom by the collation of four major manuscripts with the text of Schneider." It was natural to conclude from these words that a text constructed by Dr. Ash would be available for the rest of the work, but no traces of the existence of such a text have been found in America. It has, therefore, been necessary to undertake the con- struction of a new text, and I have tried to conform as far as possible with Dr. Ash's system, using Lundstrom 's edition for those books which he has edited and attempting a new text for Books V, VIII, IX and XII. For this purpose I have been fortunate, through the good offices of Professor L. A. Post, in obtaining from America photostats of the four most PREFATORY NOTE important MSS. (see p. xvi of Vol. I), which fall into two classes, (a) the two 9th-10th century MSS. and (b) the two best of the 15th-century MSS. The photo- stats, which were used by Dr. Ash for his collation of Books III and IV, were purchased with a grant provided by the Faculty Research Fund of the University of Pennsylvania. The only point in which my text of these books differs from that of Dr. Ash is that I have not had an opportunity, which Dr. Ash had, of comparing my text with that of the MS. known as Morganensis 138, formerly Hamil- tonensis 184 in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. For some unexplained reason the text of Book V, especially Chapter VIII to the end, is in a worse condition than in any other part of the work, and there is the further complication that, from Chapter X to the end, the text, though slightly longer, is closely identical with that of De Arhorihus, Chapter XVIII to the end. It seems certain that the De Arhoribus is part of an earlier and shorter treatise which was afterwards superseded by the De Re Rustica. It is a question how far the text of these similar chapters in the De Re Rustica and the De Arhoribus should be corrected from one another. There are numerous places in which the text of Book V is deficient or careless, and these can be corrected from the De Arhorihus, but it also appears that the author made a good many verbal changes as well as inserting new matter. I have, therefore, refrained from making the two slightly different versions correspond exactly and have kept the MS. reading in both treatises where it makes sense — very often the same sense in slightly different viii PREFATORY NOTE words — but the fact that there are these two versions has necessitated a larger apparatus criticus in these chapters of Book V than for any other part of the work. I have to thank His Grace the Duke of Devonshire for lending me [M. C. Curtius], L. Junius Moderatus Columella o?i Husbandry in Twelve Books and his Book concerning Trees (London 1745) (a very rare work) from the Chatsworth Library, and Mademoi- selle Helene Rousseau for obtaining for me in Paris a copy of M. Nisard, Les Agronomes Latins (Paris, 1844), for which I had been searching for many months. Edward S. Forster. Upon the death of Professor Forster, the Editors of this Library entrusted to me the responsibility of completing the unfinished project. In the cir- cumstances this assignment naturally extended to the making of a thorough examination of every aspect of the work. The photostats mentioned by my predecessor in the above lines were in due time returned to America and were fully utilized in the process of examination and study. In the checking between these manuscripts, as well as in the verifi- cation of references to important earlier editions of Columella, very substantial assistance was furnished to me by my wife, which I desire gratefully to ac- knowledge here. It is to be hoped that the process of restudying and reviewing has resulted in an improved product. It is always a serious thing to find your- self differing with another person on matters of a scholarly nature ; to handle such materials when left ix PREFATORY NOTE by the hand of one who is no longer able to speak in defence of his interpretation imposes many a delicate task. Naturally there are numerous passages in the text of Columella, and also in the English version, which I would have handled somewhat differently from the manner in which they were treated by my predecessor if I had been free to shape things de novo. However, this statement applies rather to materials involving the factors of taste and judgment than to those where the essential thought was an issue. The reader might be reminded of the Biblio- graphy prepared by the late Professor Ash and included in Vol. I of this Library. The works per- taining to Columella that are there cited were obviously made use of by Professor Forster, as they were also utilized by me. Edward H. Heffner. SIGLA S = Cod. Sangermanensis Petropolitanus 207 (9th cent.). A = Cod. Ambrosianus L 85 sup. (9th-10th cents.) jR =: all or consensus of the 15th cent. MSS. a = Cod. Laurentianus plut. 53. 32 (15th cent.). c = Cod. Caesenas Malatestianus plut. 24. 2 (15th cent.). ed. pr. = editio princeps (Jensoniana), Venice, 1472. Aid. — the first Aldine edition, Venice, 1514. Gesfi. = J. M. Gesner, Scriptores Ret Rusticae Veteres Latini, Leipzig, 1735. Schneider = J. G. Schneider, Scriptores Rei Rusticae Veteres Latini, Leipzig, 1794. LundstrQm = V. Lundstrom, L. lun. Mod. Columella Lib. I-II, VI-VII, X-XI, de Arboribus, Upsala-Goteborg, 1897-1940. Note. — In Books VI and VII, where the apparatus criticus is based on Lundstrom's recension, his siglum R is used as representing the reading of all or the majority of the twenty-five 15th-century MSS. collated by him. In Books V and VIII a new collation has been made of only the two best 15th- century MSS., for which the sigla a and c are used. LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA ON AGRICULTURE VOL. II. L. lUNI MODERATI COLUMELLAE REI RUSTICAE LIBER V I. Prioribus libi-is, quos ad te de constituendis colendisque vineis, Silvine, scripseram, nonnulla defuisse dixisti, quae agrestium operum studiosi desiderarent ; neque ego infitior aliqua me prae- teriisse, quamvis inquirentem sedulo, quae nostri saeculi cultores quaeque veteres literarum monu- mentis prodiderunt : sed cum sim professus ^ rusticae rei praecepta, nisi fallor, asseveraveram, quae vastitas ^ eius scientiae contineret, non cuncta me dicturum, sed plurima. Nam illud in unius hominis prudentiam cadere non poterat. Neque enim est ulla disciplina, non ars, quae singular!^ consummata sit ingenio. Quapropter ut in magna silva boni venatoris est indagantem feras quamplurimas capere ; nee cuiquam culpae fuit non omnes cepisse : ita nobis * sim professus c : sum professus a : summo festus SA. * vastitas ac : unitas SA. ' singulari ac : consulari 8 A, LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA ON AGRICULTURE BOOK V I. You have said, Silvinus, that in the earlier The books, which I had written to vou about estabhsh- '"^^'^'*- 1 1 • • • 1 1 • ment ing and cultivating vineyards, some things were of land. omitted of which those who devote themselves to agriculture felt the want ; and indeed I do not deny that, although I carefully studied what the agricul- turists of our own age and also the ancients have handed down in written records, there are some topics which I have passed over. But when I under- took to teach the precepts of husbandry, if I mistake not, I did not assert that I would deal with all but only with very many of those subjects which the vast extent of that science embraces ; for it could not fall within the scope of one man's knowledge, and 2 there is no kind of learning and no art which has been completely mastered by a single intellect. There- fore, just as the task of a good sportsman, tracking his prey in a vast forest, is to catch as many wild beasts as he can nor has blame ever attached to any- one if he did not catch them all, so it is amply sufficient for us to have treated of the greatest part of LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA abunde est, tam difFusae materiae, quam suscepimus, maximam partem tradidisse. Quippe cum ea velut omissa desiderentur, quae non sunt propria nostrae professionis, ut proxime, cum de commetiendis agris rationerai M. Trebellius noster requireret a me, vicinum atque adeo coniunctum esse censebat de- monstranti, quemadmodum agrum pastinemus, prae- cipere etiam pastinatum quemadmodum metiri de- beamus. Quod ego non agricolae sed mensoris officium esse dicebam : cum praesertim ne architect! quidem, quibus necesse est mensurarum nosse rationem, dignentur consummatorum aedificiorum, quae ipsi disposuerint, modum comprehendere, sed aliud existiment professioni suae convenire, aliud eorum, qui iam exstructa ^ metiuntur, et ^ imposito ' calculo perfect! operis rationem computant. Quo magis veniam tribuendam esse nostrae disciplinae censeo,* si eatenus progreditur, ut dicat, qua quidque ratione faciendum, non quantum id sit quod effecerit. Verum quoniam familiariter a nobis tu quoque, Silvine, praecepta mensurarum desideras, obsequar voluntati tuae, cum eo, ne dubites id opus geome- trarum magis esse quam rusticorum, desque veniam, si quid in eo fuerit erratum, cuius scientiam mihi non vindico. Sed ut ad rem redeam, modus omnis areae pedali mensura comprehenditur, qui ^ digitorum est xvi. ^ exstructa ac : exstructam S : extrunctam A. * post et add. SA iuncturae : om. ac. * imposito Aac : posito S, * censeo add. edd. ' qui Aac : quia 8. BOOK V. I. 2-4 the extensive material with which we have under- taken to deal. For indeed subjects, which do not properly belong to our profession, are demanded as though they had been left out; for example, only recently, when my friend Marcus Trebellius required from me a method of measuring land he expressed the opinion that it was a kindred and indeed closely connected task for one who was showing how we ought to trench land to give instructions also how we ought to measure the land thus trenched. I replied that this was the duty not of a farmer but of a sur- veyor, especially as even architects, who must necessarily be acquainted with the nnethods of measurement, do not deign to reckon the dimensions of buildings which they have themselves planned, but think that there is a function which befits their profession and another function which belongs to those who measure structures after they have been built and reckon up the cost of the finished work by applying a method of calculation. Therefore I hold that excuse should rather be made for our system of instruction if it only goes as far as to state by what method each of the operations of farming should be carried out and not the area over which it has been performed. But since, Silvinus, you also ask us in a friendly spii'it for instructions about measure- ments, I will comply with your wish, on condition that you harbour no doubt that this is really the business of geometricians rather than of countrymen, and make allowances for any errors that may be committed in a sphere where I do not claim to possess scientific knowledge. But to return to my subject, the extent of every area is reckoned by measurement in feet, and a foot consists LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA Pes multiplicatus in passus et actus et climata et iugera et stadia centuriasque mox etiam in niaiora spatia pi'ocedit. Passus pedes habet v. Actus minimus (ut ait M. Varro) latitudinis ^ pedes quattuor, longitudinis habet pedes cxx. Clima quoquo versus pedum est lx. Actus quadratus undique finitur pedibus cxx. Hoc duplicatum facit iugerum, et ab eo, quod erat iunctum, nomen iugeri usurpavit : sed hunc actum provinciae Baeticae rustici acnuam ^ vocant : itemque triginta pedum latitudinem et CLxxx longitudinem porcam dicunt. At Galli cande- tum ^ appellant in areis urbanis spatium centum pedum, in agrestibus autem pedum CL.* Semi- iugerum quoque arepennem vocant. Ergo (ut dixi) duo actus iugerum efficiunt longitudinem pedum ccxL, latitudinem pedum cxx. Quae utraeque summae in se multiplicatae quadratorum faciunt pedum milia viginti octo et octingentos. Stadium deinde habet passus cxxv, id est pedes dcxxv, quae mensura octies efficit mille passus, sic veniunt quinque milia pedum. ^ Centuriam nunc dicimus (ut idem Varro ait) ducentorum iugerum modum. Olim autem ab centum iugeribus vocabatur centuria, sed mox du- plicata nomen retinuit : sicuti tribus dictae primum a partibus populi tripartite divisi, quae tamen nunc multiplicatae pristinum nomen possident. Haec non aliena, nee procul a ratiocinio, quod tradituri sumus, breviter praefari oportuit. * latitudinis ac : latitudinem A : latitudine S. * agnuam SAac. ' candetum Aa : candentum c : gandetum S. * post CL add. quod aratores candetum nominant SAac. * sic veniunt quinque millia pedum ac : sunt campum 8A. 6 BOOK V. I. 4-8 of \% fingers. The multiplication of the foot produces successively the pace, the actus, the clima, the iugerum, the stadium and the centuria, and afterward still larger measurements. The pace contains five feet. The smallest actus (as Marcus Varro says) is four feet wide and 120 feet long. The c/i'raa is 60 feet each way. The squai-e actus is bounded by 120 feet each way ; when doubled it forms a iugerum, and it has derived the name of iugerum from the fact that it was formed by joining." This actus the country folk of the province of Baetica call acnua ; they also call a breadth of 30 feet and a length of 180 feet a porca. The Gauls give the name candeium to areas of a hundred feet in urban districts but to areas of 150 feet in rural districts ; they also call a ha\i-iugei'um an arepennis. Two actus, as I have said, form a iugerum 240 feet long and 120 feet wide, which two numbers multiplied together make 28,800 square feet. Next a stadium contains 125 paces (that is to say 625 feet) which multiplied by eight makes 1000 paces, which amount to 5000 feet. We now call an area of 200 iugera a centuria, as Varro again states ; but formerly the centuria was so called because it contained 100 iugera, but afterwards when it was doubled it retained the same name, just as the tribes were so called because the people were divided into three parts but now, though many times more numerous, still keep their old name. It was proper that we should begin by briefly mentioning these facts first, as being rele- vant to and closely connected with the system of calculation which we are going to set forth. " I.e. iugerum is derived from the verb iungere " to join ", because it consists of two square actus joined together. LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA Nunc veniamus ad propositum. lugeri partes non omnes posuimus,^ sed eas, quae cadunt in aesti- mationem facti operis. Nam minores persequi super- vacuum fuit, pro quibus nulla merces dependitur.^ Igitur (ut diximus) iugerum habet quadratorum pedum viginti octo milia et octingentos : qui pedes efficiunt scripula cclxxxviii. Ut autem a minima parte, id ^ est, ab dimidio scripulo incipiam, pars quingentesima septuagesima sexta pedes efficit quinquaginta ; id est iugeri dimidium scripulum. Pars ducentesima octogesima octava pedes centum; hoc est scripulum.^ Pars cxliv pedes cc, hoc est scripula duo. Pars septuagesima et secunda pedes cccc, hoc est ^ sextula in qua sunt scripula quattuor. Pars quadx'agesima octava ^ pedes do, hoc est sici- ^ posuimus edd. : possumus SAac. * dependitur SAc : deprehenditur a. * ut autem — id om. A : autem om. Sac. * post est scripulum add. pars septuagesima et secunda SAac. * sextula Aac : sextulam S. * quadragesima octava om. a. The divisions of a iugerum mentioned hy Columella with the number of square feet, both Roman and English, in each division. Number Latin name of the of scri- Frac- Roman English divisions of the pula in tions of square square. iugerum. each division. iugerum. feet. feet. Dimidium scripulum ^ r}ii 50 48-35 Scripulum 1 3-iu 100 96-70 Duo scripula 2 tH 200 193-40 Sextula 4 tS 400 386-80 Sicilicus 8 6 I'ff 600 580-20 BOOK V. I. 8-9 Let us now come to our real purpose. We have not put down all the parts of the iugerum but only those which enter into the estimation of work done. For it was needless to follow out the smaller fractions on which no business transaction depends. The iugerum, therefore, as we have said, contains 28,8)0 square feet, which number of feet is equivalent to 288 scripula. But to begin with the smallest fraction, the haM-scripulum, the 576th part of a iugerum, contains 50 feet ; it is the haif-scripuluiii of the iugerum. The 288th part of the iugerum contains 100 feet ; this is a scripulum. The 144th part contains 200 feet, that is two scripula. The 72nd part contains 400 feet and is a sextula, in which there are four scripula. The 48th part, containing 600 feet, is a sicilicus, in which there The divisions of a iugerum {continued). Number Latin name of the of scri- Frac- Roman English divisions of the pula in tions of square square iugerum. each division. iugerum. feet. feet. Semuncia 12 ^t 1,200 1,160-40 Uncia 24 tV 2,400 2,320-80 Sextans 48 i 4,800 4,641-60 Quadrans 72 i 7,200 6,962-40 Triens 96 i 9,600 9,283-20 Quincunx 120 i\ 12,000 11,604-0 Semis 144 i 14,400 13,924-80 Septunx 168 T7 16,800 16,245-60 Bes 192 f 19,200 18,566-40 Dodrans 216 i 21,600 20,887-20 Dextans 240 i 24,000 23,208-0 Deunx 264 H 26,400 25,528-80 Iugerum 288 1 28,800 27,849-60 LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA 10 licus, in quo sunt scripula sex. Pars vigesima quarta pedes mille ducentos, hoc est semuncia, in qua scripula xii. Pars duodecima duo milia et quadrin- gentos, hoc est uncia, in qua sunt scripula xxiv. Pars sexta pedes quattuor milia et octingentos, hoc est sextans, in quo sunt scripula xlviii. Pars quarta pedes 1 septem milia et ducentos, hoc est quadrans, in 11 quo sunt scripula Lxxii. Pars tertia pedes novem milia, et sexcentos, hoc est triens, in quo sunt scripula xcvi. Pars tertia et duodecima pedes duodecim milia hoc est quincunx, in quo sunt scripula cxx. Pars dimidia pedes quattuordecim milia et quadrin- gentos, hoc est semis, in quo sunt scripula cxliv. Pars dimidia et duodecima, pedes sexdecim milia et octingentos, hoc est septunx, in quo sunt scripula CLXviii. Partes duae tertiae pedes decern novem milia et ducentos, hoc est bes, in quo sunt scripula cxcii. Partes tres quartae pedes unum et viginti milia et sexcentos, hoc est dodrans, in quo sunt 12 scripula ccxvi. Pars dimidia et tertia ped. viginti quattuor milia, hoc est dextans,^ in quo sunt scripula CCXL.3 Partes duae tertiae * et una quarta pedes viginti sex milia et quadringentos, hoc est deunx, in quo sunt scripula cclxiv, lugerum pedes viginti octo milia et octingentos, hoc est as,^ in quo sunt 13 scripula cclxxxviii. lugeri autem modus ® si semper quadraret, et in agendis mensuris in longitudinem haberet pedes ccxl,'^ in^ latitudinem pedes cxx, expeditissimum esset eius ratiocinium. Sed quo- niam diversae formae agrorum veniunt in disputa- ^ pedes om. A. * destas SA. * pars dimidia — ccxl om. ac. * tertiae et II 8A : duae tertiae et ac. lO BOOK V. I. 9-13 are six scripula. The 24th part, containing 1200 feet, 10 is a semi-uncia, in which there are 12 scripula. The 12th part, containing 2400 feet, is the uncia, in which there are 24 scripula. The 6th part, containing 4800 feet, is a sextans, in which there are 48 scripula. The 4th part, containing 7200 feet is a quadra7is, in which there are 72 scripula. The 3rd part, containing 9600 11 feet, is a triens, in which there are 96 scripula. The 3rd part plus the 12th part, containing 12,000 feet, is the quincunx, in which there are 120 scripula. The half of a iugerum, containing 14,400 feet, is a semis, in which there are 144 scripula. A half plus a 12th part, containing 16,800 feet, is a septunx, in which there are 168 scriptda. Two-thirds of a iugerum, containing 19,200 feet, is a hes, in which there are 192 scripula. Three-quarters, containing 21,600 feet, is a dodrans, in which there are 216 scripula. A half plus a third, 12 containing 24,000 feet, is a dextans, in which there are 240 scripula. Two-thirds plus a quarter, containing 26,400 feet, is a deunx, in which there are 264 scripula. A iugerujn, containing 28,800 feet, is the as,'^ in which 13 there are 288 scripula. If the form of the iugerum were always rectangular and, when measurements were being taken, were always 240 feet long and 120 feet wide, the calculation would be very quickly done ; but since pieces of land of different shapes come to be the subjects of dispute, we will give below " The as is the unit which forms the standard in Roman measures, weights and coinage. * as SAc : axis a. * modus ac : modum SA. ^ ccxL a : CXL c : ccXLViii 8 A. * in add. edd. ii LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA tionem, cuiusque generis species subiciemus, quibus quasi formulis utemur. II. Omnis ager aut quadratus, aut longus, aut cuneatus, aut triquetrus, aut rotundus, aut etiam semicirculi vel arcus, nonnunquam etiam plurium angulorum fox'mam exhibet.^ Quadrati mensura facillima est. Nam cum sit undique pedum totidem, multiplicantur in se duo latera, et quae summa ex multiplicatione efFecta est, earn dicemus esse quad- ratorum pedum. Tanquam est locus quoquo versus c pedum : ducimus centies centenos, fiunt decern milia. Dicemus igitur eum locum habere decern milia pedum quadratorum, quae efficiunt iugeri trientem, et sextulam, pro qua portione operis effecti numerationem facere oportebit. At si longior fuerit, quam latior, ut exempli causa iugeri forma pedes habeat longitudinis ccxl, lati- tudinis pedes cxx, ita ut paulo ante dixi, latitudinis pedes cum longitudinis pedibus sic multiplicabis. Centies vicies duceni quadrageni fiunt viginti octo milia et octingenti. Dicemus iugerum agri tot ^ exibet ac: exiget 8 A. « I.e. 9600 + 400 Roman square feet = 10,000 square feet. 12 BOOK V. I. 13-11. 3 specimens of every kind of shape which we will use as patterns. II. Every piece of land is square, or long, or wedge- The shapes shaped, or triangular, or round, or else presents the the'rrm-'*"'^ form of a semi-circle or of the arc of a circle, some- mensions. times also of a polygon. The measuring of a square is very easy ; for, since it has the same number of feet on every one of its sides, two sides are multiplied together and the product of this multiplication we shall say is the number of square feet. For example 100 feet 100 feet 10,000 square feet 100 feet 100 feet if an area were 100 feet each way, we multiply 100 by 100 and the result is 10,000. We shall, therefore, say that the area contains 10,000 square feet, which make a iriens {\) plus a sextula (^) of a iugenim,^ and on the basis of this fraction we shall have to calculate the amount of work done. If it is longer than it is broad (for example let the form of the iugerum have 240 feet of length and 120 of breadth), as I said just now, you will multiply the feet of the breadth with the feet of the length in the following manner : 120 times 240 make 28,800, and we shall say that the iugerum of land contains this number 13 LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA 4 pedes quadrates habere. Similiterque omnis longi- tudinis pedes cum pedibus latitudinis multiplica- bimus. ^ Sin autem cuneatus ager fuerit, ut puta longus pedes centum, latus ex una parte pedes xx, et ex altera pedes x: tunc duas latitudines componemus, fiet utraque summa pedes xxx. Huius pars dimidia est quindecim ; ^ decies et quinquies longitudinem multiplicando efficiemus pedes niille et quingentos. Hos igitur in eo cuneo quadrates pedes esse dicemus, quae pars erit iugeri semuncia et scripula tria. 5 At si tribus paribus ^ lateribus triquetrum metiri debueris, banc formam sequeris. Esto ager tri- angulus pedum quoquo versus tricentorum. Hunc numerum in se multiplicato. Fiunt pedum nona- ginta milia. Huius summae partem tertiam sumito, ^ omnis longitudinis pedes cum pedibus latitudinis multi- plicabimus SAac : fiet de omnibus agris, quorum longitudo maior sit latitudine Schneider. * quindecim edd. : decus quinquies SA : oni. ac. * paribus ac : om, SA, » I.e. 1200 + 300 Roman square feet = 1500 square feet. 14 BOOK V. 11. 3-5 of square feet. Similarly we shall always multiply the feet of the length with those of the width. 240 feet 120 feet 28,800 square feet 120 feet 240 feet But if the field is wedge-shaped (for instance, suppose it to be 100 feet long and 20 feet broad on one side and 10 feet on the other side) we shall add the two breadths together, making a total of 30 feet. Half of this sum is 15, and by multiplying the longi- tude by 15 we shall obtain the result of 1500. We shall say then that this is the number of square feet in the wedge-shaped field which will be a semuncia plus three scripula (ofg of ^ iugerum)."' 100 feet 20 feet 1500 square feet 10 feet 100 feet But if you have to measure a triangle with three equal sides, you will follow this formula. Suppose the field to be triangular, three hundred feet on every side. Multiply this number by itself and the result is 90,000 feet. Take a third part of this sum, that is 15 LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA id est triginta milia. Item sumito decumam, id est novem milia. Utramque summam componito. Fiunt pedes triginta novem milia. Dicemus hanc sum- mam pedum quadratorum esse in eo triquetro, quae mensura efficit iugerum, et trientem, et ^ sicilieum. Sed si triangulus disparibus fuerit lateribus ager, tanquam in subiecta forma, quae habet rectum 6 angulum, aliter ratiocinium ordinabitur. Esto unius lateris linea, pedum ^ quinquaginta, et alterius pedum centum. Has duas summas in se multiplicato ; ' quin- quagies centeni fiunt quinque milia. Horum pars dimidia duo milia quingeni, quae pars iugeri unciam et scripulum efficit. Si rotundus ager erit, ut circuli speciem habeat, sic pedes sumito.* Esto ^ area ^ et ac : om. SA. ^ pedum edd. : pedes SAac. ^ multiplicato c : multiplico SAa. * pedes sumito edd. : podis minito SA : sic pedis mu- miiito a. * esto om. S. ' I.e. 28,800 + 9600 + 600 (Roman) square feet = 39,000 square feet. * I.e. 2400 + 100 (Roman) square feet = 2500 square feet. i6 BOOK V. II. 5-6 30,000. Likewise take a tenth part, that is 9,000. Add the two numbers together ; the result is 39,000. We shall say that this is the total number of square feet in this triangle, which measure makes a iugerum, plus a triens (^), plus a sicilicus (4^)." But if your field is triangular with unequal sides, as in the figure given below, which has a right angle, the calculation will be ordered differently. Let the line on one side of the right angle be 50 feet long and that on the other side 100 feet. Multiply these two numbers together; 50 times 100 makes 5000; half of this is 2500, which makes an uncia {j^ of a iugerum) -{- a scripubtm (jsg).^ 50 feet 100 feet If the field is to be round, so as to have the appear- ance of a circle, reckon the number of feet as follows. Let there be a circular area of which the 17 LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA rotunda, cuius diametros,! id est dimensio, habeat pedes Lxx. Hoc in se multiplicato,^ septuagies septua- geni fiunt ^ quattuor milia et nongenti. Hanc summam undecies multiplicato, fiunt pedes quinqua- ginta tria milia nongenti. Huius summae quartam decimam subduco, scilicet pedes tria milia octin- genti et quinquaginta. Hos esse quadratos in eo circulo dico, quae summa efficit iugei'i sexcunciam, scripula duo et dimidium. Si semicirculus fuerit ager, cuius basis habeat pedes cxL, curvaturae autem latitudo ^ pedes lxx : oportebit multiplicare latitudinem cum basi. Septua- gies centeni quadrageni fiunt novem milia et octingenti. Haec undecies multiplicata fiunt centum septem milia et octingenti; Huius summae quarta decima est septem milia et septingenti. Hos pedes esse dicemus in semicirculo, qui efficiunt iugeri quadrantem scripula quinque. 1 diametros ac : dimidia metres SA. " multiplicato c : multiplico SAa. ^ fiunt om. SAac. * latitudo ac : latitudinem SA. " I.e. a sexcvncia (36 scripula) and 2^ scripula = 38^ scri- pula = 3850 square feet, '' A quadrans (72 scripula) and 5 scripula — 77 scripula = 7700 square feet. i8 BOOK V. n. 6-8 diameter (that is, the measurement across) is 70 feet. Multiply this number by itself: 70 times 70 makes 4900. Multiply this sum by 11 and the result is 53,900 feet. I subtract a fourteenth part of this sum, namely 3850, and this I declare to be the number of square feet in the circle, which sum amounts to a sexcuncia of a iugerum and two scripula (T44) ^i^d a \ia\i scripulum (5^).* If the piece of land is to be semi-circular and its base measures 140 feet and the depth of the circular portion is 70 feet, it will be necessary to multiply the / Total ^^ / area of / semicircle '^ \ / 7700 square / feet 140 feet depth by the base. 70 times 140 makes 9800. This sum multiplied by 11 makes 107,800, and a fourteenth part of this is 7700. This we shall say is the number of square feet in the semi-circle, which makes a quadrans (^) of a iugerum and 5 scripula (288)-'' 19 LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS COLUMELLA 9 Si autem minus quam semicirculus erit, arcum sic metiemur. Esto arcus, cuius basis habeat pedes XVI, latitude autem pedes iv. Latitudinem cum basi pono. Fit utrumque pedes xx. Hoc duco quater. Fiunt Lxxx. Horum pars dimidia est xl. Item sedecim pedum, qui sunt basis, pars dimidia viii. Hi VIII in se multiplicati, fiunt Lxiv.^ Quartam decimam partem duco,^ ea efficit pedes iv paulo amplius. Hos adicies ad quadraginta.^ Fit utraque * summa pedes xliv. Hos in arcu quadratos ^ esse dico, qui faciunt iugeri dimidium scripulum, quinta et vigesima ^ parte minus. 10 Si fuerit sex angulorum, in quadratos pedes sic redi- gitur. Elisto hexagonum quoquo versus lineis pedum XXX, Latus unum in se multiplico. Tricies triceni fiunt Dcccc. Huius summae tertiam partem statue ccc, eiusdem partem decumam xc. Fiunt cccxc. ^ Hi VIII in se multiplicati fiunt lxiv om. A. * duco edd. : dico SAac. * quadraginta ac : quadragies SA. * utraque ac : utrumque