Diophanes of Nicaea

Who is Diophanes of Nicaea?

Diophanes of Nicaea or Diophanes the Bithynian was an ancient Greek agricultural writer of the 1st century BC. He was a native of or associated with the city of Nicaea in Bithynia.

Diophanes abridged into six books the very lengthy farming manual by Cassius Dionysius, which extended to twenty books. Both works were entitled Georgika. Diophanes dedicated his work to king Deiotarus of Celtic Galatia in central Anatolia, southeast of his homeland.

According to Columella an amount equivalent to eight books of Cassius Dionysius' work, two-fifths of the whole, had been translated from a preceding work in Punic by Mago. Diophanes' work in turn must therefore have contained extensive extracts reflecting Punic agricultural practice.

Diophanes' abridgement was more popular in ancient times than Cassius Dionysius' original, but both works are now lost. Diophanes is quoted once by the Latin agricultural writer Varro, and several times in the Byzantine Greek compilation Geoponica. He was also cited by his fellow-Bithynian Florentinus. This is a partial list of surviving fragments:

Planting by the phases of the moon.

How to determine the soil quality of a farm.