Rome Must Fall

Even though these children ranged from the eldest at 14 years old to the youngest at only 10 years old, Maximus didn’t feel like he was exploiting child labor by making them work at such a young age. After all, this wasn’t the developed modern society, but the ancient Western world dominated by Romans. Here, they didn’t have carefree childhoods, but only suffering and oppression. If they didn’t want to become mere beasts earning money for their slave owners, they had to grow up quickly and bravely fight for survival.

Returning to the front yard, Maximus saw Pigres leading the wagon drivers, guiding the horses as they were about to leave through the gate.

“Be careful out there and come back safely!” Maximus reminded them.

“Captain, only the members of the First Team are going out today. The other three teams are said to be staying here,” Pigres whispered, sounding somewhat puzzled.

We have just discussed this yesterday and today they already started implementing it. Spartacus really moves fast… Maximus thought to himself, comfortingly saying, “It’s fine. This will be the norm from now on. One team goes out, and the other teams will train in the camp.”

After Pigres left, Maximus climbed up to the rooftop of the main building once again. From there, he observed the gladiators who were serving as squad leaders in the camp surrounding the farm. They were shouting, cursing, beating, and kicking while directing their new recruits. The squad leaders then handed each of them a wooden stick and instructed them to diligently strike the tree stumps that had already been felled…

The practice of striking the wooden stumps was the basic training for gladiators, and now it was being applied to the new recruits.

Maximus really wanted to go to the camp and observe the training of the new recruits, but he had other matters to attend to at the moment.

…

Vorenus entered the room and saw Maximus sitting at the edge of the bed.

Vorenus had only joined the rebellion two days ago, and the only high-ranking member he knew was this young man. When he recounted his own experiences in the courtyard the other night, the comforting words from this young man had left a favorable impression on him.

Before Vorenus could even greet him, Maximus stood up and approached him. “Vo…Vorenus, you’re here. Please, have a seat.” He guided Vorenus to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Um… Captain, is there something you want to discuss with me?” Vorenus asked, surprised and honored by the attention.

“You served as overseer of a farm for many years, so I assume you have a good understanding of farm affairs,” Maximus said, looking at him expectantly.

“I wouldn’t dare say I know everything, but I’m quite familiar with anything I’ve been in charge of,” Vorenus answered cautiously, unsure why Maximus was asking these questions.

“That’s great. I have some questions I’d like to consult with you.” Maximus picked up a stack of papyrus from the nearby wooden table, flipped through a few pages, and then focused his gaze on it. He asked, “When you normally cultivate the land, do you use fertilizers? And where do these fertilizers come from?”

Vorenus didn’t expect the young man to ask about this, so he paused for a moment and then replied, “Of course, we use fertilizers. Even the most fertile land will experience reduced yields after several crops, so we must replenish the nutrients in the soil.

“There are several types of fertilizers. The best one is bird droppings, but they are scarce and insufficient. I’ve heard that in the Latium region, there are farms specifically dedicated to raising thrushes and bullfinches for collecting and selling bird droppings, and the prices are not low… Next is human manure, followed by sheep manure and donkey manure. Horse manure is the least preferred, but it is suitable for pastures…

“After collecting the manure, it cannot be immediately used in the fields, or else the wheat seedlings will die. It needs to be made into a manure heap and protected from excessive exposure to the sun. After a period of time, it can be spread in the fields, which will result in bountiful crops. Many farms have manure heaps nearby. I don’t know if you have noticed them, Captain…”

Vorenus spoke confidently, while Maximus was deeply shocked: It seems that the contents in this book are true. The method of using manure to fertilize crops is not unique to our Chinese ancestors but was also practiced by the Romans. Although they may not have understood the underlying principles, they have discovered this method through practical experience to promote abundant harvests.

Maximus regained his composure, turned a few more pages, and continued to ask, “This book mentions that the highest value produced by planting crops on 100 jugers (around 62 acres) of land is from grapes for making wine, followed by irrigated vegetable gardens, then willow groves, fruit orchards, and pastures, with grains being the least profitable… Why is the profit from cultivating grains so low?”

Without hesitation, Vorenus replied, “Captain, the reason is simple. Nowadays, there is a large quantity of grain flowing into Italy from provinces such as Sicily, Africa, Asia Minor, and even Egypt… The grain merchants from these provinces, under the pressure of Rome, have set very low grain prices. As a result, the grains grown by the Italian population, apart from their own consumption, are sold at a loss in the market. Therefore, most wealthy individuals do not grow grains but instead cultivate grapes, fruit trees, and olives, and engage in animal husbandry… That’s how they can make money. The reason there are still some wheat fields in Campania is that the land here is fertile, resulting in high grain yields, and the neighboring Samnites in the mountains are in great need of food, providing some profit.”

“So you’re saying that the influx of grain from various Roman provinces into Italy is the main reason for the widespread bankruptcy of farmers in Italian towns?” Maximus continued to inquire.

“The farmers throughout Italy? This… I’m not too sure about that, but I do know that in Capua, some farmers have accumulated debts and lost their land because of this. Farming not only requires seeds but also a lot of tools, such as oxen, horses, plows, hoes, sickles… Farmers cannot make these things themselves; they need to buy them from the market. However, if their grains cannot be sold, they cannot earn money to purchase these tools and can only borrow money from others. If there is a drought and the grain harvest is bad, they even need to borrow money to buy seeds for the next year.

“However, the money they borrowed is all from usurers! It accumulates more and more, and in the end, they can only sell their land to repay the debt. Some people sell their land, but it’s still not enough, so they have to sell themselves… Sigh, it’s not easy for farmers nowadays!” Vorenus sighed heavily.

Although Maximus had already pondered over this issue, there was still a sense of joy in his heart because the author of this book was Cato, as mentioned in the self-introduction on the front page. He was certain that it was the same Cato who constantly cursed the Carthage. Even though this book was written in Cato’s later years, around 30 to 40 years ago, it meant that the plight of Italian farmers had already emerged back then.

Maximus let out a gentle sigh, glanced at the papyrus in his hand, and asked in a deep voice, “This book also mentions the practice of continuously mating male and female slaves like livestock, and then training their children from a young age to be sold… Is there really someone engaged in such a slave industry?”

Vorenus fell silent for a moment and replied, “I have heard my former master talk about it. There are indeed nobles in Rome involved in this kind of slave trade because captured slaves are often disobedient. Homebred slaves with skills are more desirable, and naturally, they command higher prices… In fact, I am a homebred slave myself because my parents were originally slaves of my master’s household.”

Although in these past few days, Maximus had witnessed and heard about various cruel exploitations and oppressions carried out by slave owners during this era, he had grown somewhat accustomed to it. Yet, at this moment, he still felt a heavy discomfort in his chest. In his previous life, he had learned about this Roman senator, Cato, who had been consistently shouting “Carthage must be destroyed.” Although he was known for his stubbornness, he was a follower of Stoicism, leading a simple and modest life, and emphasizing reason and equality for all. However, looking at what he wrote in this book: “…the tools used on the farm are divided into two types: those who can speak and those who cannot, and slaves belong to the speaking ones…” and so on, even Cato had such views, let alone other Roman patricians.

This evil slave society! Maximus couldn’t help but curse in his heart.

“Cap…Captain, what book is that in your hand?” Vorenus cautiously asked out of curiosity.

“This is De Agri Cultura written by Marcus Porcius Cato. I found it in one of the rooms after we captured this farm,” Maximus replied, handing over the papyrus in his hand.

“The Cato family from Rome? I’ve heard my former master talk about them. This Roman family is known for their expertise in agricultural management!” Vorenus said with a look of joy as he eagerly started reading the papyrus.