How to Be a Farmer

An Ancient Guide to Life on the Land

Porphyry, Mark D. Usher, M. D. Usher

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9780691211749
• eBook ISBN:
  9780691224732
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ancient & Classical Philosophy

A delightful anthology of classical Greek and Roman writings celebrating country living—ranging from a philosophy of compost to hymns to the gods of agriculture

Whether you farm or garden, live in the country or long to move there, or simply enjoy an occasional rural retreat, you will be delighted by this cornucopia of writings about living and working on the land, harvested from the fertile fields of ancient Greek and Roman literature. An inspiring antidote to the digital age, How to Be a Farmer evokes the beauty and bounty of nature with a rich mixture of philosophy, practical advice, history, and humor. Together, these timeless reflections on what the Greeks called boukolika and the Romans res rusticae provide an entertaining and enlightening guide to a more meaningful and sustainable way of life.

In fresh translations by classicist and farmer M. D. Usher, with the original texts on facing pages, Hesiod praises the dignity of labor; Plato describes the rustic simplicity of his ideal republic; Varro dedicates a farming manual to his wife, Fundania ("Mrs. Farmer"); and Vergil idealizes farmers as residents of the Golden Age. In other selections, Horace extols the joys of simple living at his cherished country farm; Pliny the Elder explains why all culture stems from agriculture; Columella praises donkeys and tells how to choose a ram or a dog; Musonius Rufus argues that farming is the best livelihood for a philosopher; and there is much more.

Proof that farming is ultimately a state of mind we should all cultivate, How to Be a Farmer will charm anyone who loves nature or its fruits.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Epigraph
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Keeping Up with the Joneses. Livelihood Is Hard to Come By
• 2. The Benefits of Righteous Living
• 3. On Work and Wealth
• 4. Cultivating Good Neighbors. On Thrift
• 5. Procrastination. Good and Bad Days
• 6. A Bucolic Utopia
• 7. The Philosophy of Compost
• 8. Dedication to Mrs. Farmer. Invocation of Rustic Muses
• 9. The Prestige and Antiquity of Rearing Livestock
• 10. Praise for the Countryside
• 11. Reverie of a Would-Be Farmer
• 12. Simple Tastes
• 13. Avoiding the Rat Race
• 14. Culture from Agriculture
• 15. The Ideal of Smallholding
• 16. On Barley and Bread-Making
• 17. Getting and Naming a Dog
• 18. On Asses
• 19. What to Look for in a Ram
• 20. The Joint Venture Farm
• 21. Why Farming Is the Best Job for a Philosopher
• 22. A Garden on Lesbos
• 23. The Numinous Landscape
• 24. A Farmer’s Memorial
• Original Languages
• Notes
• Passages Translated