The role of productivity on the uilla's agricultural operations: a study on the economic aspect of the treaties of Cato, Varro and Columella

The praise of agriculture is a Latin literature constant. Considered by Cicero as an activity proper to free-born persons in his treaty De Officiis, the agricultural practice has a central place in the ruling class discourse. Those who wish to be good men should dedicate themselves to it. Understood in this way -as a constituent of the lifestyle of such groups -agriculture was framed by part of the histography as being self-sufficient and subsistent, with no economic end. This paper argues that, without denying its sociopolitical role inscribed in the logic of the political culture of Roman society, agriculture also had well-defined economic objectives that can be observed in the treaties of Cato, Varro, and Columella. Our argument focuses on the idea that an important point attesting to these objectives in agricultural practice is the concern with property productivity. We consider that, in general, agriculture brings together functions of different natures.