THEY may have ruled half the world 2,000 years ago, but even the mighty Romans were a bit stingy when it came to paying their staff.
An ancient payslip uncovered by archaeologists has revealed how a soldier was left penniless after the military took out fees for his food and clothes.
The man it’s addressed to, Gaius Messiues, is thought to have participated in the Siege of Masada in what is now Israel between 73 and 75 AD.
His measly salary of 50 denarii – a Roman currency – was cancelled out after he was charged for barley, boots and his linen tunic.
Printed on papyrus, an image of the payslip was posted to Twitter by University of Liverpool archaeologist Dr Joanne Ball in March 2019.
“Fragment of a payslip belonging to Gaius Messius, a Roman auxiliary soldier in the Legio X Fretensis, found at Masada, dating to the time of the siege,” she wrote.
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“It shows that most of his pay went straight back to the Army to pay for his food, clothing, & equipment.”
A translation of the scripture reveals that the military man was left flat broke following a long list of deductions.
They were: Sixteen denarii for “barley money”, 20 denarii for “food expenses”, five denarii for “boots”, two denarii for “leather strappings” and seven denarii for a “linen tunic.”
Add those together, and you get 50 denarii – the exact amount of coin Gaius was owed for his services.
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It would have left him “effectively penniless after payday”, according to the Database of Military Inscriptions and Papyri of Early Roman Palestine, which translated the text for TaskAndPurpose.
Dr Ball, who specialises in artefacts discovered at Greek and Roman battlefields, said the practice was commonly employed by Roman chiefs.
“As far as I know all soldiers, both citizen & peregrine, paid for their kit – given to you up front, & taken back from your pay, as was the cost of any replacements, & your food,” she tweeted.
“Kept the military economy circling, I suppose!”
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At its height, 90million people lived under the Roman Empire, including residents of Britain and many other European nations.
It’s thought that the Imperial force employed upwards of half a million soldiers at its peak, many from the lands they conquered.
Masada is an ancient fortification 12 miles east of the Israeli city of Arad and was built by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BC.
During the First Jewish-Roman War, which started in 66 AD through 73 AD, an uprising was sparked by Jewish rebels against their European invaders.
A brief history of the Roman Empire
Here’s what you need to know…
- The Roman Empire began shortly after the founding of the Roman Republic in the 6th century BC
- It reigned for around a thousand years until the fall of the last Western emperor in 476 AD
- During this time, the Romans ruled over many countries in Europe and parts of Africa and the Middle East
- At its height, 90 million people lived in the Roman Empire
- It evolved from a monarchy to a democratic republic to a military dictatorship and then was finally ruled by emperors
- One of the most well-known Roman leaders is Julius Caesar, famously assassinated in 44BC
- He is largely credited for his military mind and laying the foundations for the Roman Empire
- The spread of the Roman Empire into Britain in around 55 BC has had a lasting impact on our lives today
- Latin, straight roads, underfloor heating and the spread of Christianity are all attributed to the Romans
After the Romans issued a crushing response, destroying Jerusalem and killing all who stood against them, the remaining rebels relocated to Masada.
According to legend, the huge fortification was surrounded by 8,000 Roman soldiers, who demanded that the trapped insurgents surrender.
Rather than give themselves up, the 960 trapped Jews – bar two women and five children – took their lives rather than become slaves of their enemy.
Masada had laid forgotten for centuries until it was rediscovered in 1828.
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What do you make of the Roman payslip? Let us know in the comments…
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