---
title: "Oeconomicus · Οἰκονομικός"
author: "Xenophon"
translator: "Edgar Carew Marchant"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
section: 16 of 21
url: https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-economics/16/
cite: "Xenophon, tr. Edgar Carew Marchant, Oeconomicus · Οἰκονομικός, section 16. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-economics/16/"
---

# 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.

## 16. Chapter 16

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-economics/16/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-economics/16/#p-N

[¶0] 1. First then, Socrates, I want to show you that what is called the most complicated problem in agriculture by the authors who write most accurately on the theory of the subject, but are not practical farmers, is really a simple matter.

> Greek: 1. πρῶτον μὲν τοίνυν, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες, τοῦτο ἐπιδεῖξαι βούλομαί σοι ὡς οὐ χαλεπόν ἐστιν ὃ λέγουσι ποικιλώτατον τῆς γεωργίας εἶναι οἱ λόγῳ μὲν ἀκριβέστατα αὐτὴν διεξιόντες, ἥκιστα δὲ ἐργαζόμενοι.

[¶1] 2. For they tell us that to be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil. Yes, and they are right, I remarked; for if you don’t know what the soil is capable of growing, you can’t know, I suppose, what to plant or what to sow.

> Greek: 2. φασὶ γὰρ τὸν μέλλοντα ὀρθῶς γεωργήσειν τὴν φύσιν χρῆναι πρῶτον τῆς γῆς εἰδέναι. ὀρθῶς γε, ἔφην ἐγώ, ταῦτα λέγοντες. ὁ γὰρ μὴ εἰδὼς ὅ τι δύναται ἡ γῆ φέρειν, οὐδʼ ὅ τι σπείρειν οἶμαι οὐδʼ ὅ τι φυτεύειν δεῖ εἰδείη ἄν.

[¶2] 3. Well then, said Ischomachus, you can tell by looking at the crops and trees on another man’s land what the soil can and what it cannot grow. But when you have found out, it is useless to fight against the gods. For you are not likely to get a better yield from the land by sowing and planting what you want instead of the crops and trees that the land prefers.

> Greek: 3. οὐκοῦν, ἔφη ὁ Ἰσχόμαχος, καὶ ἀλλοτρίας γῆς τοῦτο ἔστι γνῶναι, ὅ τι τε δύναται φέρειν καὶ ὅ τι μὴ δύναται, ὁρῶντα τοὺς καρποὺς καὶ τὰ δένδρα. ἐπειδὰν μέντοι γνῷ τις, οὐκέτι συμφέρει θεομαχεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἄν, ὅτου δέοιτο αὐτός, τοῦτο σπείρων καὶ φυτεύων μᾶλλον ἂν ἔχοι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἢ ὅ τι ἡ γῆ ἥδοιτο φύουσα καὶ τρέφουσα.

[¶3] 4. If it happens that the land does not declare its own capabilities because the owners are lazy, you can often gather more correct information from a neighbouring plot than from a neighbouring proprietor.

> Greek: 4. ἂν δʼ ἄρα διʼ ἀργίαν τῶν ἐχόντων αὐτὴν μὴ ἔχῃ τὴν ἑαυτῆς δύναμιν ἐπιδεικνύναι, ἔστι καὶ παρὰ γείτονος τόπου πολλάκις ἀληθέστερα περὶ αὐτῆς γνῶναι ἢ παρὰ γείτονος ἀνθρώπου πυθέσθαι.

[¶4] 5. Yes, and even if the land lies waste, it reveals its nature. For if the wild stuff growing on the land is of fine quality, then by good farming the soil is capable of yielding cultivated crops of fine quality. So the nature of the soil can be ascertained even by the novice who has no experience of farming.

> Greek: 5. καὶ χερσεύουσα δὲ ὅμως ἐπιδείκνυσι τὴν αὑτῆς φύσιν· ἡ γὰρ τὰ ἄγρια καλὰ φύουσα δύναται θεραπευομένη καὶ τὰ ἥμερα καλὰ ἐκφέρειν. φύσιν μὲν δὴ γῆς οὕτως καὶ οἱ μὴ πάνυ ἔμπειροι γεωργίας ὅμως δύνανται διαγιγνώσκειν.

[¶5] 6. Well, I think I am now confident, Ischomachus, that I need not avoid farming from fear of not knowing the nature of the soil.

> Greek: 6. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μέν, ἔφην ἐγώ, ὦ Ἰσχόμαχε, ἱκανῶς ἤδη μοι δοκῶ ἀποτεθαρρηκέναι, ὡς οὐ δεῖ φοβούμενον μὴ οὐ γνῶ τῆς γῆς φύσιν ἀπέχεσθαι γεωργίας.

[¶6] 7. The fact is, I am reminded that fishermen, though their business is in the sea, and they neither stop the boat to take a look nor slow down, nevertheless, when they see the crops as they scud past the farms, do not hesitate to express an opinion about the land, which is the good and which is the bad sort, now condemning, now praising it. And, what is more, I notice that in their opinion about the good land they generally agree exactly with experienced farmers.

> Greek: 7. καὶ γὰρ δή, ἔφην, ἀνεμνήσθην τὸ τῶν ἁλιέων, ὅτι θαλαττουργοὶ ὄντες καὶ οὔτε καταστήσαντες ἐπὶ θέαν οὔθʼ ἥσυχοι βαδίζοντες, ἀλλὰ παρατρέχοντες ἅμα τοὺς ἀγρούς, ὅταν ὁρῶσι τοὺς καρποὺς ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὅμως οὐκ ὀκνοῦσιν ἀποφαίνεσθαι περὶ τῆς γῆς ὁποία τε ἀγαθή ἐστι καὶ ὁποία κακή, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν ψέγουσι, τὴν δʼ ἐπαινοῦσι. καὶ πάνυ τοίνυν τοῖς ἐμπείροις γεωργίας ὁρῶ αὐτοὺς τὰ πλεῖστα κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἀποφαινομένους περὶ τῆς ἀγαθῆς γῆς.

[¶7] 8. Then, Socrates, let me refresh your memory on the subject of agriculture; but where do you wish me to begin? For I am aware that I shall tell you very much that you know already about the right method of farming.

> Greek: 8. πόθεν οὖν βούλῃ, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἄρξωμαί σε τῆς γεωργίας ὑπομιμνῄσκειν; οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι ἐπισταμένῳ σοι πάνυ πολλὰ φράσω ὡς δεῖ γεωργεῖν.

[¶8] 9. First, Ischomachus, I think I should be glad to learn, for this is the philosopher’s way, how I am to cultivate the land if I want to get the heaviest crops of wheat and barley out of it.

> Greek: 9. ἐκεῖνό μοι δοκῶ, ἔφην ἐγώ, ὦ Ἰσχόμαχε, πρῶτον ἂν ἡδέως μανθάνειν (φιλοσόφου γὰρ μάλιστά ἐστιν ἀνδρός) ὅπως ἂν ἐγώ, εἰ βουλοίμην, γῆν ἐργαζόμενος πλείστας κριθὰς καὶ πλείστους πυροὺς λαμβάνοιμι.

[¶9] 10. Well, you know, I take it, that fallow must be prepared for sowing? Yes, I know.

> Greek: 10. οὐκοῦν τοῦτο μὲν οἶσθα, ὅτι τῷ σπόρῳ νεὸν δεῖ ὑπεργάζεσθαι;

[¶10] 11. Suppose, then, we start ploughing in winter? Why, the land will be a bog! How about starting in summer? The land will be hard to plough up.

> Greek: 11. οἶδα γάρ, ἔφην ἐγώ. εἰ οὖν ἀρχοίμεθα, ἔφη, ἀροῦν τὴν γῆν χειμῶνος; ἀλλὰ πηλὸς ἂν εἴη, ἐγὼ ἔφην. ἀλλὰ τοῦ θέρους σοι δοκεῖ; σκληρά, ἔφην ἐγώ, ἡ γῆ ἔσται κινεῖν τῷ ζεύγει.

[¶11] 12. It seems that spring is the season for beginning this work. Yes, the land is likely to be more friable if it is broken up then. Yes, and the grass turned up is long enough at that season to serve as manure, but, not having shed seed, it will not grow.

> Greek: 12. κινδυνεύει ἔαρος, ἔφη, εἶναι τούτου τοῦ ἔργου ἀρκτέον. εἰκὸς γάρ, ἔφην ἐγώ, ἐστι μάλιστα χεῖσθαι τὴν γῆν τηνικαῦτα κινουμένην. καὶ τὴν πόαν γε ἀναστρεφομένην, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες, τηνικαῦτα κόπρον μὲν τῇ γῇ ἤδη παρέχειν, καρπὸν δʼ οὔπω καταβαλεῖν ὥστε φύεσθαι.

[¶12] 13. You know also, I presume, that fallow land can’t be satisfactory unless it is clear of weeds and thoroughly baked in the sun? Yes, certainly; that is essential, I think.

> Greek: 13. οἶμαι γὰρ δὴ καὶ τοῦτό σʼ ἔτι γιγνώσκειν, ὅτι εἰ μέλλει ἀγαθὴ ἡ νεὸς ἔσεσθαι, ὕλης τε καθαρὰν αὐτὴν εἶναι δεῖ καὶ ὀπτὴν ὅτι μάλιστα πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον. πάνυ γε, ἔφην ἐγώ, καὶ ταῦτα οὕτως ἡγοῦμαι χρῆναι ἔχειν.

[¶13] 14. Do you think that there is any better way of securing that than by turning the land over as often as possible in summer? Nay, I know for certain that if you want the weeds to lie on the surface and wither in the heat, and the land to be baked by the sun, the surest way is to plough it up at midday in midsummer.

> Greek: 14. ταῦτʼ οὖν, ἔφη, σὺ ἄλλως πως νομίζεις μᾶλλον ἂν γίγνεσθαι ἢ εἰ ἐν τῷ θέρει ὅτι πλειστάκις μεταβάλοι τις τὴν γῆν; οἶδα μὲν οὖν, ἔφην, ἀκριβῶς ὅτι οὐδαμῶς ἂν μᾶλλον ἡ μὲν ὕλη ἐπιπολάζοι καὶ αὐαίνοιτο ὑπὸ τοῦ καύματος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὀπτῷτο ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου, ἢ εἴ τις αὐτὴν ἐν μέσῳ τῷ θέρει καὶ ἐν μέσῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ κινοίη τῷ ζεύγει.

[¶14] 15. And if men prepare the fallow by digging, is it not obvious that they too must separate the weeds from the soil? Yes, and they must throw the weeds on the surface to wither, and turn up the ground so that the lower spit may be baked.

> Greek: 15. εἰ δὲ ἄνθρωποι σκάπτοντες τὴν νεὸν ποιοῖεν, ἔφη, οὐκ εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ τούτους δίχα δεῖ ποιεῖν τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν ὕλην; καὶ τὴν μέν γε ὕλην, ἔφην ἐγώ, καταβάλλειν, ὡς αὐαίνηται, ἐπιπολῆς, τὴν δὲ γῆν στρέφειν, ὡς ἡ ὠμὴ αὐτῆς ὀπτᾶται.