Columella (Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella) [key], fl. 1st cent. a.d., Latin writer on agriculture, b. Gades (now Cádiz), Spain. Of his work there remains the 12-volume De re rustica, treating general husbandry, the care of domestic animals, and farm management. The 10th book, modeled on Vergil, is in hexameters. A short essay on trees also survives. Columella's Latin is facile and elegant, and his information is surprisingly practical and accurate.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Agriculture: Biographies
