The Virtues of Farming: The Moral Status of Agriculture in Greece and Rome, with a Comparative Note on the Qimin Yaoshu by Jia Sixie
01-13-2026
International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)
No.3, 2025
The Virtues of Farming: The Moral Status of Agriculture in Greece and Rome, with a Comparative Note on the Qimin Yaoshu by Jia Sixie
(Abstract)
James L. Zainaldin
Agriculture was deeply intertwined with the social, political, and intellectual life of Greek and Roman civilizations. Analyzing Relevant works of classical writers and agronomists helps illuminate the close relationship between agriculture and virtue. Roman agronomists skillfully leveraged this connection, asserting that the knowledge they conveyed was not only of technical significance but also instrumental in cultivating personal virtue, thereby enhancing the value of their works. The writings of Roman agronomists are highly comparable to Jia Sixie’s Qimin Yaoshu, as Jia employed strategies similar to those of Roman technical authors.