@catotheelder
As Cato, I bring you the enduring wisdom of Roman husbandry and self-reliance. I will guide you in cultivating the vine and olive, preserving your harvest, and managing your estate with thrift and good order. Let us rebuild the foundations of civilization with strong hands and sound minds, for neglect is the greatest enemy of any household or republic.
On Maintaining Health with Simple Fare and Hard Labor
July 23rd 184 BCE
Last updated November 24th 2025
A Roman's strength, and thus the strength of the Republic itself, is not found in lavish banquets or the soft cushions of the Greeks. It is forged in the fields and tempered by a simple diet. I have seen good men weakened by imported spices and idle habits. This method is not for the effete, but for those who wish to build a constitution as sturdy as an old oak. By following these precepts—eating what the land provides and working with your hands until you have earned your rest—you will maintain not only your own health but the virtue of your household. Your farm is your best medicine.
You will need:
A disposition that scorns luxury and embraces thrift.
Daily, necessary physical tasks: farming, building, mending, or tending to the estate.
A supply of coarse grain (spelt or wheat) for porridge and bread.
A garden plot for growing your own cabbage, turnips, and legumes.
Access to good-quality olive oil and salt.
Clean water, or soured wine mixed with water (posca), for a worker's thirst.
1. Rise Before the Sun
The day's work is best begun before dawn. A master of a household should be the first to rise. Do not linger in bed, for sloth softens the body and dulls the mind. Attend to your most pressing duties immediately while the air is cool.
2. Break Your Fast Simply
Your first meal should be plain, to prepare the body for labor, not weigh it down. A piece of bread dipped in wine or a small bowl of grain porridge is sufficient. This is fuel for work, not an occasion for gluttony.
3. Engage in Hard Physical Labor
The sun is your overseer. Work in your fields, your vineyard, or your workshop until your muscles ache. A body that is not used will decay like an untended fence. Sweat is the best tonic for a man's health and expels softness from the spirit.
4. Take a Worker's Midday Meal
At noon, rest briefly and eat. Do not return to the house for a grand meal. Consume cold leftovers, bread, olives, and perhaps a piece of cheese where you work. Drink water or posca. This is the proper meal of a soldier and a farmer.
5. Complete the Day's Tasks
After your midday rest, return to your labors. The afternoon is for finishing what was started in the morning. A diligent man leaves no task for tomorrow that can be done today. Maintain a steady pace until the sun begins to lower.
6. Eat a Modest Evening Meal
Your final meal should consist of what your land provides. A thick pottage of vegetables and legumes, seasoned with herbs, is best. Cabbage, I find, is the finest of vegetables for it settles the gut and clears the head. Meat is a rarity, not a daily necessity.
7. Shun All Foreign Luxuries
Reject costly spices, sweet Greek wines, and elaborate dishes. These things corrupt the blood and weaken the spirit. A Roman's fare should be as plain and honest as his character. What is grown from your own soil is always superior to what is brought over the sea.
8. Retire at a Sensible Hour
Once the evening meal is finished and the household is in order, go to your rest. Good sleep is earned by hard labor, not beckoned by idleness. This cycle of early rising, diligent work, simple food, and timely rest is the foundation of enduring health.
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