The pseudo-Aristotelian Economica877 require no extended discussion, since most of the material that is of interest in them is an imitation of Aristotle’s Politics and Xenophon’s Economics.
Book i is largely a repetition of some of Aristotle’s theories of domestic economy, the marriage relation, and slavery, with a few unimportant additions and slight differences.878
Book ii is almost entirely composed of practical examples of how necessary funds have been provided by states and rulers.
The most distinctive point about the doctrine of the first book is its separation of οἰκονομική from πολιτική as a special science.879
The author agrees with Aristotle, however, that it is the function of economics both to acquire and to use, though without his specific limitations upon acquisition.880 He distinguishes four forms of economy—acquiring, guarding, using, and arranging in proper order.881 Elsewhere, he makes a different classification on another basis—imperial, provincial, public, and private.882 These are each further subdivided, the first including finance, export and import commerce, and expenditures.883
Agriculture is especially eulogized by the author, in the spirit of Xenophon and Aristotle. It is the primary means of natural acquisition, the others being mining and allied arts whose source of wealth is the land.884
It is the most just acquisition, since it is not gained from men, either by trade, hired labor, or war,885 and it contributes most to manly strength.886
Retail trade and the banausic arts, on the other hand, are both contrary to nature,887 since they render the body weak and inefficient (ἀχρεῖα).888