---
title: "Oeconomicus · Οἰκονομικός"
author: "Xenophon"
translator: "Edgar Carew Marchant"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
section: 15 of 21
url: https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-economics/15/
cite: "Xenophon, tr. Edgar Carew Marchant, Oeconomicus · Οἰκονομικός, section 15. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-economics/15/"
---

# Oeconomicus · Οἰκονομικός

*Xenophon, tr. Edgar Carew Marchant*

Socrates on running a household and a farm, through the gentleman Ischomachus and his young wife.

> Greek: ed. Edgar Carew Marchant, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0032.tlg003, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Edgar Carew Marchant, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0032.tlg003.perseus-eng2). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (books, chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## 15. Chapter 15

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-economics/15/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-economics/15/#p-N

[¶0] 1. Well, well, I won’t go on to ask whether anything more is wanting to your man, after you have implanted in him a desire for your prosperity and have made him also careful to see that you achieve it, and have obtained for him, besides, the knowledge needful to ensure that every piece of work done shall add to the profits, and, further, have made him capable of ruling, and when, besides all this, he takes as much delight in producing heavy crops for you in due season as you would take if you did the work yourself. For it seems to me that a man like that would make a very valuable bailiff. Nevertheless, Ischomachus, don’t leave a gap in that part of the subject to which we have given the most cursory attention. Which is it? asked Ischomachus.

> Greek: 1. ἀλλὰ μέντοι ἐπειδάν γε ἐμποιήσῃς τινὶ τὸ βούλεσθαί σοι εἶναι τἀγαθά, ἐμποιήσῃς δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ τούτῳ ⟨τὸ⟩ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι ὅπως ταῦτά σοι ἐπιτελῆται, ἔτι δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ἐπιστήμην κτήσῃ αὐτῷ ὡς ἂν ποιούμενα ἕκαστα τῶν ἔργων ὠφελιμώτερα γίγνοιτο, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἄρχειν ἱκανὸν αὐτὸν ποιήσῃς, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις πᾶσιν ἥδηταί σοι τὰ ἐκ τῆς γῆς ὡραῖα ἀποδεικνύων ὅτι πλεῖστα ὥσπερ σὺ σαυτῷ, οὐκέτι ἐρήσομαι περὶ τούτου εἰ ἔτι τινὸς ὁ τοιοῦτος προσδεῖται· πάνυ γάρ μοι δοκεῖ ἤδη πολλοῦ ἂν ἄξιος εἶναι ἐπίτροπος ὢν τοιοῦτος. ἐκεῖνο μέντοι, ἔφην ἐγώ, ὦ Ἰσχόμαχε, μὴ ἀπολίπῃς, ὃ ἡμῖν ἀργότατα ἐπιδεδράμηται τοῦ λόγου.

[¶1] 2. You said, you know, that the greatest lesson to learn is how things ought to be done; and added that, if a man is ignorant what to do and how to do it, no good can come of his management.

> Greek: 2. τὸ ποῖον; ἔφη ὁ Ἰσχόμαχος. ἔλεξας δήπου, ἔφην ἐγώ, ὅτι μέγιστον εἴη μαθεῖν ὅπως δεῖ ἐξεργάζεσθαι ἕκαστα· εἰ δὲ μή, οὐδὲ τῆς ἐπιμελείας ἔφησθα ὄφελος οὐδὲν γίγνεσθαι, εἰ μή τις ἐπίσταιτο ἃ δεῖ καὶ ὡς δεῖ ποιεῖν.

[¶2] 3. Then he said, Socrates, are you insisting now that I should teach the whole art and mystery of agriculture? Yes, said I; for maybe it is just this that makes rich men of those who understand it, and condemns the ignorant to a life of penury, for all their toil.

> Greek: 3. ἐνταῦθα δὴ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰσχόμαχος· τὴν τέχνην με ἤδη, ὦ Σώκρατες, κελεύεις αὐτὴν διδάσκειν τῆς γεωργίας; αὕτη γὰρ ἴσως, ἔφην ἐγώ, ἤδη ἐστὶν ἡ ποιοῦσα τοὺς μὲν ἐπισταμένους αὐτὴν πλουσίους, τοὺς δὲ μὴ ἐπισταμένους πολλὰ πονοῦντας ἀπόρως βιοτεύειν.

[¶3] 4. Well, Socrates, you shall now hear how kindly a thing is this art. Helpful, pleasant, honourable, dear to gods and men in the highest degree, it is also in the highest degree easy to learn. Noble qualities surely! As you know, we call those creatures noble that are beautiful, great and helpful, and yet gentle towards men.

> Greek: 4. νῦν τοίνυν, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες, καὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ταύτης τῆς τέχνης ἀκούσῃ. τὸ γὰρ ὠφελιμωτάτην οὖσαν καὶ ἡδίστην ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ καλλίστην καὶ προσφιλεστάτην θεοῖς τε καὶ ἀνθρώποις, ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις καὶ ῥᾴστην εἶναι μαθεῖν πῶς οὐχὶ γενναῖόν ἐστι; γενναῖα δὲ δήπου καλοῦμεν καὶ τῶν ζῴων ὁπόσα καλὰ καὶ μεγάλα καὶ ὠφέλιμα ὄντα πραέα ἐστὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους.

[¶4] 5. Ah, but I think, Ischomachus, that I quite understand your account of these matters—I mean how to teach a bailiff; for I think I follow your statement that you make him loyal to you, and careful and capable of ruling and honest.

> Greek: 5. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐγώ, ἔφην, ὦ Ἰσχόμαχε, ἱκανῶς δοκῶ καταμεμαθηκέναι ᾗ εἶπας, καθʼ ἃ δεῖ διδάσκειν τὸν ἐπίτροπον· καὶ γὰρ ᾗ ἔφησθα εὔνουν σοι ποιεῖν αὐτὸν μαθεῖν δοκῶ, καὶ ᾗ ἐπιμελῆ καὶ ἀρχικὸν καὶ δίκαιον.

[¶5] 6. But you said that one who is to be successful in the management of a farm must learn what to do and how and when to do it. That is the subject that we have treated, it seems to me, in a rather cursory fashion, as if you said that anyone who is to be capable of writing from dictation and reading what is written must know the alphabet.

> Greek: 6. ὃ δὲ εἶπας ὡς δεῖ μαθεῖν τὸν μέλλοντα ὀρθῶς γεωργίας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι καὶ ἃ δεῖ ποιεῖν καὶ ὡς δεῖ καὶ ὁπότε ἕκαστα, ταῦτά μοι δοκοῦμεν, ἔφην ἐγώ, ἀργότερόν πως ἐπιδεδραμηκέναι τῷ λόγῳ·

[¶6] 7. For had I been told that, I should have been told, to be sure, that I must know the alphabet, but I don’t think that piece of information would help me to know it.

> Greek: 7. ὥσπερ εἰ εἴποις ὅτι δεῖ γράμματα ἐπίστασθαι τὸν μέλλοντα δυνήσεσθαι τὰ ὑπαγορευόμενα γράφειν καὶ τὰ γεγραμμένα ἀναγιγνώσκειν. ταῦτα γὰρ ἐγὼ ἀκούσας, ὅτι μὲν δεῖ γράμματα ἐπίστασθαι ἠκηκόη ἄν, τοῦτο δὲ εἰδὼς οὐδέν τι οἶμαι μᾶλλον ἂν ἐπισταίμην γράμματα.

[¶7] 8. So too now; I am easily convinced that a man who is to manage a farm successfully must understand farming, but that knowledge doesn’t help me to understand how to farm.

> Greek: 8. οὕτω δὲ καὶ νῦν ὅτι μὲν δεῖ ἐπίστασθαι γεωργίαν τὸν μέλλοντα ὀρθῶς ἐπιμελεῖσθαι αὐτῆς ῥᾳδίως πέπεισμαι, τοῦτο μέντοι εἰδὼς οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον ἐπίσταμαι ὅπως δεῖ γεωργεῖν.

[¶8] 9. Were I to decide this very moment to be a farmer, I think I should be like that doctor who goes round visiting the sick, but has no knowledge of the right way to treat them. Therefore, that I may not be like him, you must teach me the actual operations of farming.

> Greek: 9. ἀλλʼ εἴ μοι αὐτίκα μάλα δόξειε γεωργεῖν, ὅμοιος ἄν μοι δοκῶ εἶναι τῷ περιιόντι ἰατρῷ καὶ ἐπισκοποῦντι τοὺς κάμνοντας, εἰδότι δὲ οὐδὲν ὅ τι συμφέρει τοῖς κάμνουσιν. ἵνʼ οὖν μὴ τοιοῦτος ὦ, ἔφην ἐγώ, δίδασκέ με αὐτὰ τὰ ἔργα τῆς γεωργίας.

[¶9] 10. Why, Socrates, farming is not troublesome to learn, like other arts, which the pupil must study till he is worn out before he can earn his keep by his work. Some things you can understand by watching men at work, others by just being told, well enough to teach another if you wish. And I believe that you know a good deal about it yourself, without being aware of the fact.

> Greek: 10. ἀλλὰ μήν, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες, οὐχ ὥσπερ γε τὰς ἄλλας τέχνας κατατριβῆναι δεῖ μανθάνοντας πρὶν ἄξια τῆς τροφῆς ἐργάζεσθαι τὸν διδασκόμενον, οὐχ οὕτω καὶ ἡ γεωργία δύσκολός ἐστι μαθεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἰδὼν ἂν ἐργαζομένους, τὰ δὲ ἀκούσας εὐθὺς ἂν ἐπίσταιο, ὥστε καὶ ἄλλον, εἰ βούλοιο, διδάσκειν. οἴομαι δʼ, ἔφη, πάνυ καὶ λεληθέναι πολλά σε αὐτὸν ἐπιστάμενον αὐτῆς.

[¶10] 11. The truth is that, whereas other artists conceal more or less the most important points in their own art, the farmer who plants best is most pleased when he is being watched, so is he who sows best. Question him about any piece of work well done: and he will tell you exactly how he did it.

> Greek: 11. καὶ γὰρ δὴ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι τεχνῖται ἀποκρύπτονταί πως τὰ ἐπικαιριώτατα ἧς ἕκαστος ἔχει τέχνης, τῶν δὲ γεωργῶν ὁ κάλλιστα μὲν φυτεύων μάλιστʼ ἂν ἥδοιτο, εἴ τις αὐτὸν θεῷτο, ὁ κάλλιστα δὲ σπείρων ὡσαύτως· ὅ τι δὲ ἔροιο τῶν καλῶς πεποιημένων, οὐδὲν ὅ τι ἄν σε ἀποκρύψαιτο ὅπως ἐποίησεν.

[¶11] 12. So farming, Socrates, more than any other calling, seems to produce a generous disposition in its followers.

> Greek: 12. οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἤθη, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἔφη, γενναιοτάτους τοὺς αὐτῇ συνόντας ἡ γεωργία ἔοικε παρέχεσθαι.

[¶12] 13. An excellent preamble, I cried, and not of a sort to damp the hearer’s curiosity. Come, describe it to me, all the more because it is so simple to learn. For it is no disgrace to you to teach elementary lessons, but far more a disgrace to me not to understand them, especially if they are really useful.

> Greek: 13. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν προοίμιον, ἔφην ἐγώ, καλὸν καὶ οὐχ οἷον ἀκούσαντα ἀποτρέπεσθαι τοῦ ἐρωτήματος· σὺ δέ, ὅτι εὐπετές ἐστι μαθεῖν, διὰ τοῦτο πολύ μοι μᾶλλον διέξιθι αὐτήν. οὐ γὰρ σοὶ αἰσχρὸν τὰ ῥᾴδια διδάσκειν ἐστίν, ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ πολὺ αἴσχιον μὴ ἐπίστασθαι ἄλλως τε καὶ εἰ χρήσιμα ὄντα τυγχάνει.