Last night's Roman History book chat was the second on
Tacitus'
Histories, with a focus on the
year of four emperors. A topic that came up that we couldn't answer was how (and even whether) the soldiers were paid amid the chaos, especially if they were on the losing side. If you know the answer, please post in the comments. Suggestions included:
- Soldiers were paid by means of confiscation of the land through which the troops marched, and
- Rich men on the side of the individual imperial aspirants might have financed the operations.
A third option was that they were paid just like other Roman soldiers. The pay was called the
stipendium 'stipend'. J. E. Sandys, in
A Companion to Latin Studies, says that Rome started paying soldiers starting in 406 B.C., but that the regular stipend only started in the second century B.C. The pay was annually or in three installments, with the rate depending on position in the army. Various costs for clothing and provisions would be deducted. The people in charge of dispensing the pay were called
dispensatores. In addition to the stipend, imperial soldiers received a lump sum when they retired, which Sandys says was 5000 denarii for a praetorian and 3000 for a legionary. Soldiers also received
donatives.
More Thursdays' Terms to Learn | Ancient Rome Glossary
Comments