392 AGRICULTURE. 



than nicely, and carefully fortified against the wind, cold, and 

 rain ; all which they will be secured from by sleeved leather 

 coats, old centones (thick patchwork, as bed quilts), for defend- 

 ing their heads, or cloaks with hoods. If the laborers are 

 clothed with these, no day is so stormy as to prevent them from 

 working without doors." 



Cato likewise makes particular mention of the clothes of the 

 slaves. He says : "A coat and a gown three feet and a half long, 

 should be given once in two years. Whenever you give a coat 

 or a gown, first receive the old one ; of these make centones. 

 Good shoes should be given once in two years." He also 

 informs us what quality of bread and wine, and what kind of 

 meats were given to laborers. Of bread, each laborer was 

 allowed at the rate of three pounds avoirdupois, or of three 

 pounds twelve ounces avoirdupois, in the day, according to the 

 severity of his labor. During the winter, the bailiff should have 

 four modii of wheat each month, and during the summer four 

 modii and a half each month, and the housekeeper or the bailiff's 

 wife and the shepherd should have three. During the winter 

 the slaves should have four pounds of bread each in the day. 

 From the time that they began to dig in the vineyards to the 

 ripening of the figs, they should have five pounds each, after 

 which they should return again to four. To this bread there 

 was a daily allowance of wine. During the three months that 

 immediately followed the vintage, the servants drank a weak 

 kind of wine called lora. The manner in which this liquor was 

 made is described both by Pliny and Columella, and from the 

 descriptions given by them it may well be supposed to have been 

 as good as the small beer given to servants in England. It does 

 not appear that the Roman slaves were much restricted in the 

 quantity. Cato mentions no measure, he only says that they 

 have this to drink three months after the vintage. He proceeds 

 in this manner : " The quantity of wine for each man in the 

 year is eight quadrantals. Now an addition must be made to 

 this, according to the work in which the slaves are employed. 

 It is not too much for them to drink ten quadrantals each in 

 the year." This allowance of wine, it must be acknowledged, 

 was not inconsiderable, being at least seventy-four gallons in 

 the year, or an average of 1.62 pints in the day. 



