Ancient Greek Agriculture

1. Ancient Greek
Agriculture
Farming in Ancient Greece

2. • Farming in ancient Greece was difficult due to the
limited amount of good soil and cropland. It is
estimated that only twenty percent of the land was
usable for growing crops. The main crops were
barley, grapes, and olives.

4. • Farming was difficult in ancient Greece. Much of
the country is mountainous, and only about one-
fifth of the land can be easily cultivated. Moreover,
the soil is generally of poor quality and the
climate—with its hot, dry summers—is less than ideal
for growing crops. Nevertheless, the ancient Greeks
adapted their agriculture to the land and climate
of the region.

5. • Grain crops, such as barley and wheat, were
planted in October and harvested in April or May.
Olives were harvested November through February.
Grapes were normally picked in September.
• Barley was the main cereal crop for the ancient
Greek farmers. They made the barley into porridge
or ground it into flour to make bread. Olive oil was
used for cooking oil or in oil lamps. Grapes were
primarily used for wine production, although they
could be eaten or dried into raisins. The Greeks
watered down wine, mixing one part wine with two
parts water. Drinking wine straight was considered
barbaric.

6. Barley

7. KNOWLEDGE OF ANCIENT GREEK
FARMING
• Most of our knowledge of ancient Greek farming has
come from literature, archaeology, and art. An early
book on agriculture, Hesiod's 'Works and Days', provides
valuable details on farm activities, crops, and
equipment. Another ancient writer, Xenophon, wrote
about different types of land, caring for the land, sowing
and harvesting grain, and tending fruit trees.
Studies of ancient farm tools and farm sites have
provided important information about early Greek
agriculture. Finally, images of traditional agricultural
activities—such as plowing, sowing seeds, picking fruit,
and taking produce to market—are found on ancient
Greek pottery and paintings.

8. Threshing
Wheat

9. • Most farms were small with four or five acres of land.
Farmers grew enough food to support their families
and, at times, they grew a small surplus to sell at the
local market. There were some very large farms run
by overseers while the owner lived in the city. One
record showed a farmer making 30,000 drachmas in
a year off his large farm. (An average worker made
about two drachmas a day.) This was the exception
because most farms were small to medium sized.

10. Olives

11. FARMS AND FARM LABOR
• Because of the scarcity of good farmland and the hard
work involved in farming, most Greek farms were small.
These farms were generally owned and operated by
individuals and their families, who sometimes had the
help of a few slaves. More fertile regions, such as
Thessaly in northern Greece, had larger farms that
usually belonged to the estates of wealthy landowners.
Many of these owners lived in a town or city and hired
overseers to manage their estates. Slaves provided most
of the labor on large estates, although free workers were
also hired, especially at harvest time.

12. Grapes

13. PRINCIPAL CROPS
• Greek agriculture focused on a few basic crops, especially wheat,
barley, grapes, figs, and olives. Farmers grew wheat and barley in the few
fertile areas of Greece, notably in the plains of Argos and Olympia in the
south.
• Grapes, figs, and olives thrived in less fertile soils, and they could better
withstand the extreme conditions of dryness and drought, which explains
their importance in Greek agriculture. Farmers often planted these three
crops next to each other, allowing the grapevines to grow up the olive
and fig trees. The practice saved precious space and made efficient use
of poor soils. Both grapes and olives had secondary uses. Grapes were
made into wine, which was sometimes added to drinking water to
improve its quality, and olives were pressed to make olive oil, an
important export product. Many Greek farmers also had small garden
plots where they raised vegetables and herbs for their own use and for
selling in nearby towns and city markets.
• Orchards flourished in many areas of ancient Greece. In addition to figs
and olives, the Greeks grew apples, pears, cherries, peaches, plums, and
dates, as well as a variety of nuts. The cultivation of these fruits and nuts
depended largely on climate, with certain varieties growing best in
particular regions.

14. Figs and Fig Tree

15. Livestock
The raising of animals was another important agricultural activity in
ancient Greece. Many farmers kept cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs.
Cattle served primarily as work animals. Milk came from sheep and
goats, and these animals also provided wool and hair for making
rope. Pigs and sheep provided meat.
Raising livestock depended on an adequate supply of food for the
animals. In regions lacking suitable grazing land, farmers relied upon
the other types of feed, such as harvested crops or food scraps from
the farmer's table. Sheep and goats, which can survive in the least
fertile areas, grazed over wide areas of Greece. The region of
Arcadia, in the central part of the Peloponnese*, was known for its
shepherds and sheep raising.
Because honey was widely used as a sweetener, beekeeping was a
common agricultural activity in ancient Greece. To increase the
production of honey, the Greeks developed several methods for
raising various types of bees. Many Greek towns passed laws to
regulate beekeeping and levied taxes on activities related to
beekeeping.

16. Harvesting
• At harvest time, farmers cut the stalks of grain with
sickles, tied them in bundles, and carried them away for
threshing—the process of separating the grain from the
stalks. For the threshing*, the stalks were placed on a
stone or tile floor and then trampled by a team of mules
or oxen. The harvested grain was stored for later use.
During the early years in ancient Greece, simple farming
methods provided enough food to meet the needs of
individual families, as well as the inhabitants of
neighboring villages. However, the growth of towns
gradually created a greater demand for food. Greek
farmers adopted crop rotation, which involves raising a
series of different crops to keep the land in use without
wearing out the soil. Such improvements in farm
technology helped increase the production of food.

17. Bibliography
• http://stravaganzastravaganza.blogspot.com/2011
/06/agriculture-in-ancient-
greece.html#!/2011/06/agriculture-in-ancient-
greece.html