Chap. 3.] THE JrOEEUM OF LA^'D. 5 



which was capable of being ploughed by a single "jugiim," or 

 yoke of oxen, in one day ; an " actus " '^ being as much as the 

 oxen could plough at a single spell, fairly estimated, without 

 stopping. This last was one hundred and twenty feet in length ; 

 and two in length made a jugerum. The most considerable 

 recompense that could be bestowed upon generals and valiant 

 citizens, was the utmost extent of land around which a person 

 could trace a furrow with the plough in a single day. The 

 whole population, too, used to contribute a quarter ^^ of a sex- 

 tarius of spelt, or else half a one, per head. 



From agriculture the earliest surnames were derived. Thus, 

 for instance, the name of Pilumnus was given to him who in- 

 vented the " pilum," or pestle of the bake-house, for pounding 

 corn ; that of Piso was derived from '' piso," to grind corn ; 

 and those of Fabius, Lentulus, and Cicero, from the several 

 varieties ^^ of leguminous plants in the cultivation of which re- 

 spectively these individuals excelled. One individual of the 

 family of the Junii received the name of " Bubulcus,"" from 

 the skill he displayed in breeding oxen. Among the sacred 

 ceremonials, too, there was nothing that was held more holy 

 than the marriage by confaiTeation,^^ and the woman just 

 married used to present a cake made of spelt.^^ Careless cul- 

 tivation of the land was in those times an offence that came 

 under the cognizance of the censors ; and, as we learn from 

 Cato,^" when it was said that such and such a man was a good 

 agriculturist or a good husbandman, it was looked upon as the 

 very highest compliment that could be paid him. A man 

 came to be called '' locuples,'* or ''rich," from being "loci 

 plenus," or '' full of earth." Money, too, received its name 

 of ''pecunia,"^^ from '' pecus," ''cattle.'* At the present 



^* Four Roman feet in width, and 120 in length. 



'* Quartarius. 



^* " Faba," a bean ; " Lens," a lentil ; and " Cicer," a chick-pea. 



^■^ A "bubus," from "oxen." Caius Junius Bubulcus was twice Consul, 

 and once Master of the Horse. 



18 a Farreum" was a form of marriage, in which certain words were 

 used, in presence of ten witnesses, and were accompanied by a certain re- 

 ligious ceremony, in which "panis farreus" was employed ; hence this form 

 of marriage was called " confarreatio." 



'^ Farreum. 



20 De Re Rust. Preface. 



-1 See B. xxxiii. c. 13. 



