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An ear of barley, symbol of wealth in the city of Metapontum in Magna Graecia (i.e. the Greek colonies of southern Italy), stamped stater, c. 530–510 BCE. During the early time of Greek history, as shown in the Odyssey, Greek agriculture - and diet - was based on cereals (sitos, though usually translated as wheat, could in fact designate any type of cereal grain).
In ancient Greece and Rome, the captive breeding of livestock, particularly the rearing of cattle, was an integral part of the economy. In both the Greek and Roman economies of antiquity, cattle were seen as a determiner of wealth, and herds often served as a dowry in certain arranged-marriage scenarios, as they still do today in many African ...
Helios, who in Greek mythology is the god of the Sun, is said to have had seven herds of oxen and seven flocks of sheep, each numbering fifty head. [3] In the Odyssey, Homer describes these immortal cattle as handsome (ἄριστος), wide-browed (εὐρυμέτωπος), fat, and straight-horned (ὀρθόκραιρος). [4]
The economy of ancient Greece was defined largely by the region's dependence on imported goods. As a result of the poor quality of Greece 's soil , agricultural trade was of particular importance. The impact of limited crop production was somewhat offset by Greece's paramount location, as its position in the Mediterranean gave its provinces ...
Practically from its inception, ancient Greek civilization relied on sheep as primary livestock, and were even said to name individual animals. [7]: 13 Scandinavian sheep of a type seen today — with short tails and multi-colored fleece — were also present early on.
Succeeding the hunter-gatherers of prehistoric Greece is the Neolithic period (6500–3000 BC). This period saw the beginning of agriculture and the domestication of livestock; archaeological remains of farming settlements are evident in tells (mounds composed of mudbrick used in the construction of houses) that protrude from the landscape. [3]
Milking cattle in ancient Egypt. In ancient Egypt, cattle were the most important livestock, and sheep, goats, and pigs were also kept; poultry including ducks, geese, and pigeons were captured in nets and bred on farms, where they were force-fed with dough to fatten them. [10] The Nile provided a plentiful source of fish.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 19 December 2024. Extinct species of large cattle Not to be confused with Bos taurus, European bison, or Oryx. Aurochs Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene–Holocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Mounted skeleton of an aurochs bull at the National Museum of Denmark Conservation status Extinct (1627 ...