Absolute and relative modes of judgement in Xenophon and Varro. Some elements of a comparative cultural grammar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34019/2318-3446.2023.v11.39192Keywords:
Xenophon, Varro, agriculture, comparative cultural studies, work ethicsAbstract
Starting from an in-detail case study of Varro, De re rustica 1,23 and Xenophon, Oeconomicus 16, the paper aims at identifying some patterns which might prove useful for a comparative analysis of basic Roman, as against Greek, longue durée ways of thinking. A special focus has been laid on the modes of judging (for the issue at hand, of assessing the quality of the soil of a piece of ground), which tend to be absolute in Xenophon and relative in Varro. In a manner comparable to what was described by the author in a paper on Polybius and Livy, certain structural differences emerge: In the Greek texts judgements are generally made within a theoretically predefined frame, as against the more flexible ways of thinking in the Roman texts which allow for unpredicted developments. In linguistic terms, this is reflected in the ways of using superlative and comparative forms, respectively; in terms of social history, these pattern differences may be indicative of different types of work ethics.
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