Geoponica: De re rustica libri XX

PROLEGOMENA.

...books collected by our Constantine, as the title itself and the Summary prefixed to those books demonstrates. In the third category are placed those scholars (among whose number, if we trust Vossius, are Brodaeus and Antonius Mizaldus Monlucianus) Jean Brodeau (1500–1563) and Antoine Mizauld (1510–1578) were influential French humanists and physicians. who falsely contend that Cassius Dionysius of Utica was the collector of the Geoponica. For besides that immense interval of time from Dionysius to Apsyrtus Apsyrtus was a famous 4th-century AD veterinary writer; Dionysius lived centuries earlier, making it impossible for the latter to have compiled the former's work.—a writer of a much later age—there are many things in the Geoponica that breathe a more recent spirit than the style or age of Dionysius. Concerning him, Marcus Terentius Varro A prolific Roman scholar (116–27 BC) whose work "On Agriculture" is a primary source for Roman farming. left us these few remarks in the first book of his On Agriculture: Mago the Carthaginian surpassed these in fame in the Punic language, for he encompassed various matters in twenty-eight books, which Cassius Dionysius of Utica translated into twenty books in the Greek language and sent to the Praetor Sextilius; into these volumes he added not a few things from the Greek books of those authors I have mentioned, and he removed the equivalent of eight books from Mago’s work. A fourth place is occupied by those who, along with Harduin Jean Hardouin (1646–1729), a Jesuit scholar known for his controversial theories on the authenticity of ancient texts., judge that these twenty books of the Geoponica are the very same as those "Agricultural Commentaries" collected by Vindanius Anatolius of Beirut, which Photius The Patriarch of Constantinople in the 9th century, whose "Myriobiblon" (or Library) preserves summaries of hundreds of now-lost ancient books. professes to have read in his Library, volume 163. It will not be irrelevant original: "ἀπροσδιόνυσον" (aprosdionyson). A Greek idiom meaning "beside the point" or "unconnected to Dionysus." to provide that entire excerpt here:

Vindanius Anatolius of Beirut, a Collection of Agricultural Practices in twelve volumes.

I have read the Collection of Agricultural Practices by Vindanius Anatolius of Beirut. This book was compiled by him from the works of Democritus, Africanus, Tarentinus, Apuleius, Florentius, Valens, Leon, Pamphilus, and even from the "Marvels" of Diophanes. The book consists of twelve volumes. It is a useful book for labor on the land and agricultural tasks, as we have seen through actual experience in many cases; indeed, it is perhaps more useful than any others who have touched upon the same subject. Nevertheless, this book contains some things that are monstrous and unbelievable, and full of Greek [pagan] error; the pious farmer, while avoiding these things, ought to collect the useful parts from the rest. Almost all other authors who have written agricultural treatises express the same views on the same subjects, as far as I know, and they do not disagree on many points; where they do disagree, the authority of Leon is preferred over the others.

The sense of which is this: The Collections of Vindanius Anatolius of Beirut on Agriculture, in 12 Books.

I have read the Collections of Vindanius Anatolius of Beirut on Agriculture; moreover, this book was fashioned by him from the works of Democritus, and Afri-