{"id":4469,"date":"2023-04-04T05:04:47","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T04:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=4469"},"modified":"2023-04-04T05:04:47","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T04:04:47","slug":"what-did-people-get-payed-in-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/what-did-people-get-payed-in-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"What did people get payed in ancient rome?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ancient Romans had a complex system of pay scales. Some workers, such as government officials and soldiers, were paid a regular salary. Others were paid by the day or by the job. Still others were paid in kind, with food or other goods instead of money.<\/p>\n

There is no one answer to this question as ancient Rome was a highly stratified society with a wide range of incomes. Generally speaking, however, historians believe that the average citizen in Rome earned around 1,000 sesterces per year, which was enough to cover basic needs but would not have allowed for much superfluous spending. The wealthiest citizens, on the other hand, could earn up to several million sesterces per year.<\/p>\n

How much did Romans get paid? <\/h2>\n

Polybius was a famous historian who wrote in the mid-second century BCE. He estimated that soldiers’ pay was around two obols per day, which would equate to 120 denarii per year. For a cavalryman’s pay, he estimated 180 denarii per year. Obviously, the value of money and its purchasing power were dependent on the economic circumstances of the time.<\/p>\n

A centurion was a commander of a centuria, which was a unit of the Roman army. The centurion was a much higher ranking position than an ordinary legionary, and so during the reign of Domitian, the centurion could count on an annual salary of 1800 sesterces, compared to the 1200 sesterces that an ordinary legionary could expect.<\/p>\n

How did people make money in ancient Rome <\/h3>\n