The Cost of Expanding Rome: Accounting the Salaries of Roman Soldiers
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="schema:primaryImageOfPage og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Roman-legions-awaiting-their-salary.jpg?itok=azX1fanH"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Roman-legions-awaiting-their-salary.jpg?itok=azX1fanH" width="610" height="344" alt="Roman legions awaiting their salary. Source: Pillow Productions/Adobe Stock" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="schema:description content:encoded"><p>The income of Roman soldiers is a topic that many avoid. After all, studying the accounting and calculating the income of a Roman soldier does not arouse the same interest as the legionaries themselves. But this will help us understand why military service was considered prestigious and why a large number of people wanted to join.</p>
<p>The relatively high income and privileges in the Roman army were the greatest motivations for young people to enter service. This was also the largest item of expenditure for the
Empire.</p>
<p>According to some data, the maintenance of the legions consumed 40–50% of the state's budget even in the peace period. The mightiest army of the early Empire consumed a colossal amount of gold, which unequivocally tells us that the army was the most important aspect of Roman statehood.</p>
<p>This article explores the annual income starting from an auxiliary (soldier of auxiliary troops) and a legionary private to a tribune and a legate (senior positions of the legion). It also looks at the purchasing power of this money to better understand their magnitude. The basis is the period of the reign of
Augustus to
Domitian.</p>
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