406 Italy and its crops 



We get glimpses of the condition of agriculture in Italy under the 

 strain of events. It must be borne in mind that Italy was no longer 

 exempt from the land-burdens of the imperial system. For many years, 

 certainly from 383 to 398, Rome was hardly ever free from the fear of 

 famine. It was necessary to scrape together all the spare food that 

 could be found in the country in order to eke out the often interrupted 

 importations from abroad. The decline of food-production in rich 

 Campania is indicated by many scattered references. The district was 

 probably too much given over to vines, and a great part of it occupied 

 by unproductive villas. In 396 Symmachus is relieved to know that 

 the corn-supply of Rome is assured, at least for twenty days. He goes 

 on to mention 1 that corn has been transferred from Apulia to Campania. 

 Whether this was for Campanian consumption, or eventually to be 

 forwarded to Rome, is not stated. I am inclined to the former alter- 

 native by the consideration of the quarrel between Tarracina and 

 Puteoli referred to below. That corn should have been brought from 

 Apulia 2 is a striking fact. A great part of that province was taken up 

 by pastures and olive-yards. It can only have had corn to spare by 

 reason of sparse population and good crops. If we had the whole story 

 of this affair, the explanation might prove to be simpler than it can 

 be now. In 397 he writes 8 to a friend that the Apulians are having a 

 bad time. They are erroneously supposed to be in for a good harvest, 

 and so are being required to supply corn. This will be stripping the 

 province without materially helping the state. For winter is coming 

 on, and there is not time left to bring such a great crop of ripeness. 

 Symmachus had friends dependent on property in Apulia. Writing 

 some four years later 4 he refers to this estate as rated for taxation on 

 a higher scale than its income would warrant : he asks the local governor 

 to see that it shall not be crushed by ' public burdens.' 



For to Symmachus, as to all or most men in this passive and cruelly 

 selfish age, the first thought was to protect their own interests and 

 those of their friends by engaging the favour of the powerful. Many 

 of the passages cited above illustrate this, and many more could be 

 given. The candour of some of his applications is remarkable. On 

 behalf of one dependant in trouble he says 5 to the person addressed 

 ' but he will get more help from the partiality of your judgment, for 

 he really has some right on his side.' To another he writes 6 that of 

 course right is always to be considered, but in dealing with nobiles 

 probabilesque personas a judge should feel free to qualify strict rules, 



1 epistvi 12. 



2 In quality the Apulian wheat was thought excellent. Varro RR I t 6. 



3 *pist IX 29. 4 epist vn 126 res...non tarn reditu ampla quam censu. 



5 epist IX n sfd maior opitulatio ex tui arbitrii favor e proveniet, cum eausae eius etiam 

 iustitia non desit. 6 episl IX 37 (40). 



