Introduction

"With regard to the rest of the equipment-'the mute' that includes baskets, dolia, and the like, nothing should be bought which can be raised on the place or made by men on the farm." (Varro, On Agriculture I.xxii)

The vital role that the triad of grain, wine, and olive oil played in the Roman economy permeates ancient literature of all kinds. The annual cycle for each of these crops carried with them many peripheral activities and livelihoods. Equipment such as mills and presses had to be built or repaired; wagons and boats had to be kept in good order.

In wine production, the craft most intimately related to it was amphora-making, so the potter's fortune to some extent swung back-and-forth with that of the vintner. In those years when grape harvests caused poets to wax lyrical about the bounty of the vine, everyone drank well, while vintners and potters alike grew a little richer. In times of war and plague, however, vineyards were destroyed or deserted and amphora-makers struggled to survive.

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REFERENCES

1) Callender, M.H., 1965: Roman Amphorae with Index of Stamps, various entries (London: Oxford University Press).

2) Cockle, H., 1981: "Pottery Manufacture in Roman Egypt: A New Papyrus," Journal of Roman Studies 71, 87-97.

3) Middleton, P., 1983: "The Roman Army and Long Distance Trade," in Trade and Famine in Classical Antiquity, 75-83 (edits., P.D.A Garnsey and C.R. Whittaker; Berkeley: University of California).

4) Peacock, D.P.S. and Williams, D.F., 1986: Amphorae and the Roman Economy, various entries (New York: Longman).

5) White, K.D., 1967: Farm Equipment of the Roman World, various entries (New York: Cambridge University).