A Shark Inspired Post: Agricultural Magic in the Dragon Earth Roman Empire

Take a look at the Ancient Armies thread from Shark then head back here. One of the matters brought up was a bit on magic in Roman times and how it might have affected the Roman Empire. Out of everything mentioned in that thread, that was what stuck in my mind.

So now I present the first post in what could turn into a series on how magic affected the Roman Empire in the world of Dragon Earth. To keep the extraneous stuff to minimum, let me just say that Dragon Earth is a modern day fantasy Earth.

This posting will deal with the affect of magic on the agriculture of the Dragon Earth Roman Empire. You are welcome to comment on it. The series as a whole will be revised using your feedback and submitted as an article to Asgard Magazine.

Now on to the essay.

Agricultureal Magic in the (Dragon Earth) Roman Empire

The Roman Empire of the first century A.D. did nothing to advance the art of magic. They did, however, apply the ars arcane in a manner heretofor unseen in the ancient world. Where the Greeks, Persians, and even the Babylonians had applied magic in a haphazard fashion, the Romans used it systematically. The first culture since the Old Kingdom Egyptians to do so. In addition they applied advances the Egyptians had been reluctant to.

This is seen especially in agricultural magic. Where others were content to use sorcery with food stuffs etc on an individual basis, the Romans used it on an industrial scale. Fields of grain, herds of cattle, vegetable gardens would have dweomers for increased health and yield applied.

Most importantly, the Romans chose to use magic to emphasis the good, rather than compensate for the bad. Where agriculture was concerned, they would use spells to make already fertile soils even more fertile. Thus improving yields, and at less cost than if they had used their magics on marginal land.

As a result Roman farms and plantations produced at a level that would not be equaled until the early Renaissance. And this with a farming technology more primitive than what would later be used in the Late Medieval period.

Along with magic to improve soil quality and crop yield, the Romans also used magic heavily to control spoilage. Most often against rusts, blights, and other fungi, and against insect pests. Remedies against birds and rodents were used less often, usually for religious reasons. Still, these measures served to insure that at least some 75% of the food produced would get to market. Where meats, fruits, and vegetables were concerned, preservation magic (usually Babylonian or Egyptian in origin) served to keep such fresh, even after long journeys.

This all had the effect of making farming more profitable for all concerned. Rome could support a higher urban population then she otherwise would have without magic. All in all the Romans needed half the land to support the same number of people as Medieval Europeans could.

Combined with communication, transportation, medical, and sanitary magic agricultural magic meant it was possible for the Romans to field armies larger than most of their neighbors. It is possible that without the ability to transport fresh food great distances the Romans would never have extended the Empire to the Bug River in Central Europe.

The collapse of the Roman Empire in the 6th century A.D. brought an end to all this. Knowledge magical and mundane was lost. Much of it would not be recovered or re-learned for hundreds of years. Most of the former Roman Empire would be forced to rely on technology instead of sorcery. Still, some progress was made. Where the Romans had used spells to replenish worn out land, their successors developed crop rotation and the planting of crops such as clover and, later, soybean. With the invention of the horse collar, stirrups, and the horse shoe a stronger, more reliable beast of burden than the ox became available. Heavier soils could now be plowed. Larger, more heavily laden wagons could now be used to haul grains, vegetables, and other food stuffs. New, mundane, methods of preserving food were developed, which compensated to some degree for the loss of magical methods.

When extensive contact was made in the 11th century A.D. with the Near East the old Roman magics were rediscovered. Combined with Europe's technological advances, this would result in an explosion in productivity, followed by a corresponding explosion in population. That would lead to the great plagues, and the subsequential social, religious, political and magical changes that would ultimately result in the world we know today.

But that's all getting away from the main thesis.

There is much more that can be said on the use of agricultural magic in the Roman Empire, but that is a matter for a later time. This was an introduction to the subject. With your feedback this essay could be expanded. Even made into a full article all by itself.

If you think you could use this material in your own campaign, then all I ask is that you drop me a line telling me that you are, and how you're using it.

Next in the series: Magic and Communications in the (Dragon Earth) Roman Empire.

Alan

mythusmage said:

This is seen especially in agricultural magic. Where others were content to use sorcery with food stuffs etc on an individual basis, the Romans used it on an industrial scale. Fields of grain, herds of cattle, vegetable gardens would have dweomers for increased health and yield applied.

Most importantly, the Romans chose to use magic to emphasis the good, rather than compensate for the bad. Where agriculture was concerned, they would use spells to make already fertile soils even more fertile. Thus improving yields, and at less cost than if they had used their magics on marginal land.

As a result Roman farms and plantations produced at a level that would not be equaled until the early Renaissance. And this with a farming technology more primitive than what would later be used in the Late Medieval period.

Along with magic to improve soil quality and crop yield, the Romans also used magic heavily to control spoilage. Most often against rusts, blights, and other fungi, and against insect pests. Remedies against birds and rodents were used less often, usually for religious reasons. Still, these measures served to insure that at least some 75% of the food produced would get to market. Where meats, fruits, and vegetables were concerned, preservation magic (usually Babylonian or Egyptian in origin) served to keep such fresh, even after long journeys.

This all had the effect of making farming more profitable for all concerned. Rome could support a higher urban population then she otherwise would have without magic. All in all the Romans needed half the land to support the same number of people as Medieval Europeans could.

Click to expand...

You know this would have major impacts throughout the whole of Roman society and history. With much more food around, and more easily available it could have interesting impacts on both the social climate for all those poor plebs in Rome as well as how politics is done and various social customs such as exposure which would be affected.

True indeed.

Right now I'm drawing a blank. This is a subject that deserves a lot of thought. What is your take on the matter?

The main things I was thinking of was firstly the effects this would have on things like average life expectancy (which was around 27 yrs).

Another thing to ponder is whether it would bring about an even larger Rome (which got to around 1 million) or a handful of Rome sized cities. I suspect the later would be more likely.

And with politics, IRL there was occasions (I'm not sure if I would use the term frequent) where the plebs rioted due to lack of food. Also there was the frequent use of great food handouts (which became the corn dole) to the plebs to bring about the right kind of election results. Both of these would be quite effected (if not eliminated totally) by agricultural magic.

A steadier supply of food would cut down on food riots. But not eliminate them entirely. After all, there would still be crop failures, they would simply occur less often.

Where the "corn dole" is concerned, more grain etc could mean the extension of the dole to a larger population. And/or a greater allotment to the Plebians. This, along with medical and sanitary magic, would mean a healthier plebian population and greater productivity.

Going on to Rome and other urban centers, I see agricultural magic and the benefits there of leading to both a larger Rome then in real life, and to other great cities through out the empire. A Rome of two or three million people for instance. Along with additional cities of a million or more. Alexandria, Athens, Dasmascus, and Marsielle for example.

All that aside, there is also the matter of the countryside. Farmland would take up less territory, meaning more habitat for wild life and thus a greater population of wild animals and plants. This could mean the survival of the European lion into more recent times. If not into modern times. Among other beasts.

This is proving to be a fruitful discussion. My thanks good sir.

(Morrus, would it be possible to get this archived? So others may have a look in times to come.)

mythusmage said:

A steadier supply of food would cut down on food riots. But not eliminate them entirely. After all, there would still be crop failures, they would simply occur less often.

Click to expand...

I guess that all depends on how powerful the agricultural magic is, and whether the various rural rituals work well enough to get deities like Flora to impact on this as well.

Where the "corn dole" is concerned, more grain etc could mean the extension of the dole to a larger population. And/or a greater allotment to the Plebians. This, along with medical and sanitary magic, would mean a healthier plebian population and greater productivity.

Going on to Rome and other urban centers, I see agricultural magic and the benefits there of leading to both a larger Rome then in real life, and to other great cities through out the empire. A Rome of two or three million people for instance. Along with additional cities of a million or more. Alexandria, Athens, Dasmascus, and Marsielle for example.

Click to expand...

One thing I did wonder about is whether Roman technology (especially in relations to housing and the water supply) would be sufficient to deal with populations of 3 million or so.

All that aside, there is also the matter of the countryside. Farmland would take up less territory, meaning more habitat for wild life and thus a greater population of wild animals and plants. This could mean the survival of the European lion into more recent times. If not into modern times. Among other beasts.

Click to expand...

I dont know about that. The requirements of the munera seemed to have been one of the major reasons for loss of the european fauna.

I think you would see an impact to religon, where the more rural druid magic-users would hold power.

Roads could be built faster with spells, earth to mud, add concrete, then harden. Same with buildings.

Trade would increase, you would create more exportable goods, which could cause two things to happen, one you become the target of raids or you have a very diplomatic weapon.

I'm guessing that even in the Rome that you are talking about that there would be forces of chaos and evil at work to counter-act and work against that good agricultural magic.

Quick ideas would include:
1. Senatorial families that would benefit by embarrasing those in power.
2. Other enemies of the empire: Barbarian conspiracy, Persia, under-ground remnants of defeated enemies (macedonia, Carthage).

I don't know if you have read the "Oath of Empire" series but there are a lot of fun ideas about a magic Rome set in the 7th century. The Western and Eastern Roman empire join forces to fight against Persia.

If the Eastern Empire still has agricultural magics, then the history of the near east might change drastically: the Byzantine Empire might be better able to fend off the Muslims. Then again, a top-heavy bureaucracy might counteract even then food production advantage. But it makes the Crusades even more of a losing endeavor.

If you go even further afield, the picture is even mor interesting. Imagine if China. . .

>>>I guess that all depends on how powerful the agricultural magic is, and whether the various rural rituals work well enough to get deities like Flora to impact on this as well. <<<

A swarm of initiates would certainly help.

In Roman Religion the head of the household was in charge of the household shrine. A priest in a sense. Access to one or two zero level divine spell may be appropriate in this case. For higher level magics standard priests would be available at temples and shrines. Such would be prestige classes especially devoted to a patron deity and so able to access the appropriate magics more readily.

>>>One thing I did wonder about is whether Roman technology (especially in relations to housing and the water supply) would be sufficient to deal with populations of 3 million or so.<<<

This is where Communications, Sanitiation, Medical, and Construction magic would enter the scene. To build the place, keep it healthy, and keep the various districts in touch.

>>>I dont know about that. The requirements of the munera seemed to have been one of the major reasons for loss of the european fauna.>>>

That is true. However, with a larger amount of habitat available, more animals would be available. In addition, active deities (Flora and Fauna for example) could make it harder to engage in wholesale slaughter. A "No!" from somebody who can back it up does tend to change things.

All in all you present good points. The Romans, being a practical people, would come up with answers. Not always the best answer, but an answer. I'll give more thought to what you've posed and see if I can come up with anything.

Thanks.