A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Supervision of the Farm 407
way his farm has been tilled, and what tasks have been
completed, and what left undone, on the day following this
let him summon his steward, and inquire what work has
been accomplished, what still remains; whether the tasks
were performed quite at the appropriate time; whether he
can complete what is still left; what wine has been made,
what corn harvested, and thus with all other products.
When he has ascertained this he must inspect the account
of the various workmen and the number of days they have
worked.
If their work is not evident to him and the steward
claims that he has worked faithfully, the slaves have
been sick,
the weather has been bad, the slaves have escaped,
have completed some public work; when he has
urged these reasons and many others besides, recall the
steward to an examination of the account of tasks performed
and the work of the laborers.
The duties which could be performed when it rains are
the washing and pitching of jars, cleaning of the farmhouse,
moving the corn, carrying out the manure, making
a manure-pit, cleaning the seed, repairing the ropes, making
new ones; the slaves ought to patch together their
rag-garments and caps for themselves. On holidays old
benches should be cleaned, the public way paved, brambles
cut out, the garden dug, the meadow cleared, twigs bound,
thorns rooted up, spelt ground, everything made clean.
When the slaves have been sick, they ought not to be given
so much provisions. . . .
These will be the duties of the steward: Let him maintain
good discipline. Let holidays be observed. Let him
Work on
rainy days.
Duties of
the steward.
restrain his hands from others' goods and faithfully preserve
his own wealth. Let him preside at the disputes
lb. 5.
among the slaves; if any one has been guilty of a delinquency,
let him with discretion punish him according to