David B. Hollander earned a PhD in Ancient History from Columbia University (2002). He published his monograph Money in the Late Roman Republic in 2007 and served as the economy editor for The Encyclopedia of Ancient History (2012). He is an associate professor in the History Department at Iowa State University, USA.

• Contents;Acknowledgements;1. Problems and Sources;1.1 Introduction;;1.2 The Problem with Self-Sufficiency;1.3 Sources for Roman Agriculture;1.3.1 Cato’s De agri cultura;1.3.2 Varro’s De re rustica;1.3.3 Columella’s De re rustica;1.3.4 Pliny the Elder’s Natural History;1.3.5 Archaeology;1.3.6 Art;1.4 Conclusion;2. The Parameters of Roman Agriculture;2.1 Introduction;2.2 Climate & Geography;2.3 Demography;2.4 Roman Crops;2.4.1 Cereals;2.4.2 Viticulture;2.4.3 Olives;2.4.4 Other Fruit Trees;2.4.5 Legumes (AKA Pulses);2.4.6 Fiber Crops;2.4.7 Nuts;2.4.8 Vegetables and Tubers;2.4.9 Other Plants;;2.5 Livestock;2.6 Conclusion;3. Buyers and Borrowers: the Rural Demand for Goods, Services, and Money;3.1 Introduction;3.2 Start-up Requirements;3.2.1 Building supplies;3.2.2 Metal agricultural tools;3.2.3 Wooden Tools;3.2.5 Storage;3.2.6 Clothing;3.2.7 Processing Equipment;3.2.8 Other Equipment;3.3 Seasonal Requirements;3.4 Maintenance Requirements;3.5 Extra-agricultural Expenses;3.6 Borrowing and Sharing;3.7 Rural Demand for Coinage;3.8 Conclusion;4. Vendors and Lenders: the Rural Supply of Goods and Services;4.1 Introduction;4.2 Animals and Animal Byproducts;4.2.1 Meat;4.2.2 Wool;4.2.3 Dairy Products;4.2.4 Apiculture;4.3 The Profitability of Plants;4.3.1 Grain;4.3.2 Viticulture;4.3.3 Olive Oil;4.3.4 Flowers;4.3.5 Vegetables;4.3.6 Other Produce;4.3.7 Linen;4.4 The Sale of the Superfluous;4.5 Working for Others;4.6 Moneylending;4.7 Conclusion;5. Farmers’ Markets, Farmers’ Networks;5.1 Introduction;5.2 Markets;5.3 Reciprocity;5.4 Redistribution;6. Farmers in Roman Economic History;6.1 Introduction;6.2 Degrees of Market Dependency;6.2.1 Elite Farmers;6.2.2 Moderately Wealthy Farmers;6.2.3 Smallholders;6.2.4 Landless Farmers;6.3 Farmers in the Roman Economy;6.3.1 The Second Century bce;6.3.2 The First Century bce Prior to the Reign of Augustus;6.3.3 The Early Empire;Bibliography; Index

"The merit of this book is to propose a global vision, over a large period of time, of the economic behaviour of these almost "mute" people that the Roman peasants are for us today."- Maëlys Blandenet, ENS de Lyon, France, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2019