Legionary Wages

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

How much did Rome pay it's hard working soldiers?

 

Anybody know the rates of pay from the bottom of the ladder i.e. auxiliaries, legionaries up to centurions tribunes, legates, generals etc.

 

And then there's the cavalry and naval forces?

 

I've read that that during the mid second century BC the standard legionary rate of pay was ten denarii a month (one third of a denarii per day)

[Primus Pilus]

How much did Rome pay it's hard working soldiers?

 

Anybody know the rates of pay from the bottom of the ladder i.e. auxiliaries, legionaries up to centurions tribunes, legates, generals etc.

 

And then there's the cavalry and naval forces?

 

I've read that that during the mid second century BC the standard legionary rate of pay was ten denarii a month (one third of a denarii per day)

 

The Smith Dictionary provides a starting point. Stipendium

 

Standard pay depends entirely upon the time period. Roughly speaking...

 

From Augustus through Domitian monthly pay in Denarii for a standard miles was 225.

From Domitian through Severus it was 300

Severus raised it perhaps as high as 600 per month and his son Caracalla raised it again not even 10 years later... perhaps as much as much as half again (900 per month).

 

Reports of auxiliary pay varies greatly and opinions change frequently. 1/2 of legionary standard has long been a general guideline, but evidence indicates greatly varying scales ranged from 1/6 of standard to equal stipends.

 

Pay scales have been researched extensively and some of the papers listed below are readily available if you have JSTOR access. Others may be available elsewhere.

 

"Pay Grades and Ranks below the Centurionate" by Breeze

"Pay of the Auxilia" by MA Speidel

"Roman army pay-scales" by MA Speidel,

"Roman soldier's pay" by M Speidel

"Roman Military Pay from Caesar to Diocletian" by Alston

"Pay and Superannuation in the Roman Army" by Brunt

"The Pay of the Roman Army, Suetonius, Dio..." by Watson

"The Pay of the Roman Army: The Auxiliary Forces" by Watson

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Thanks for clearing that up PP.

 

One things for sure, how ever much they earned they certainly deserved every penny.

 

What about the spoils of war did they all get a share in the loot and on the sales of slaves? I'm sure this would bump their earnings up quite considerably.

 

BTW how do i get access to JSTOR?

[spittle]

Don't forget 'DONATIVES'.

 

One of the reasons that Galba's reign was so short was because he refused to pay the legions a donative or, as he put it, "I choose my soldiers, not buy them".

 

This bonus, essentially a bribe, could be a few years wages.

 

I'm assuming Severus and Caracalla raised the wages due to hyper inflation? The one caused because of the weight of gold and silver coins being reduced to try and save some money (????)

[Caesar CXXXVII]

BTW how do i get access to JSTOR?

 

Information here - http://www.jstor.org/about/participation.html

[caldrail]

Soldiers were paid three times a year at a special parade. Titus even had to interrupt the siege of jerusalem to pay his troops because the normal pay date had passed by. The soldiers weren't cheated, they got the money under normal circumstances. Lets face it, anyone who didn't pay roman soldiers usually didn't live very long.

 

Soldiers also had deductions from their pay, for equipment, pension, burial club etc. One seventh of it was held back as the retirement fund, a lump sum paid to them when they had served their time.

 

Its also worth noting that Julius Caesar almost doubled the pay of soldiers to the original imperial rate.

[votadini]

Its also worth noting that Julius Caesar almost doubled the pay of soldiers to the original imperial rate.

 

After Caesar, thgose emperors who raised wages actually then had to debase the currency, making payrises rather hollow.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

In a book I'm currently reading it says

 

In the reign of Constantine the Great the system of pay at this latter period was founded on judicious policy, and might perhaps be advantageously applied in modern times. A small stipend was allowed to the newly levied soldier, but it gradually increased according to his term of service; and the veteran was enabled, not merely to live in opulence, but to bequeath some money to his heirs. A gift to each soldier of five gold pieces, was also usually made once in as many years.

 

I believe that this method of payment continued for many years up until the reign of Justinian in 527AD, he then proceeded to suppress this indulgence at the very time when the Roman army really desreved his generosity, and by doing this began to loose the faith and loyalty of his troops.

[caldrail]

Its noticeable that the loyalty of the legions is often down to pay. There seems to be little patriotism for troops who spend up to 25 years of their life training, labouring, and risking their necks . To some extent thats understandable given that many of them are foreign non-citizens. But without donatives, would ordinary pay have been enough?

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Its noticeable that the loyalty of the legions is often down to pay. There seems to be little patriotism for troops who spend up to 25 years of their life training, labouring, and risking their necks . To some extent thats understandable given that many of them are foreign non-citizens. But without donatives, would ordinary pay have been enough?

 

For the majority of legionaries, without the legions they would have been nothing, they would have just been poor no-bodies on the backstreet's of Rome scraping a living by any means possible but by becoming a soldier of Rome it gave them some sort of status, identity, respect it gave them camaraderie and something to believe in and most of all, a regular wage, no matter how much at least it was a regular income and if by the luck of the god's they manage to see out their full term of service there'd be a healthy retirement package waiting for them as well, so in my opinion for the majority of them it would have been enough.

[WotWotius]

During the transitional time between Domitian and Severus, pay for military personnel stationed on Hadrian's Wall was as follows:

-Legionary: 300.

-Ala trooper: 200.

-Auxiliary infantry: 100.

 

Additional pay for soldiers that had a particular skill (i.e. musicians, clerks and medical staff):

-Pay and a half.

-Double pay (duplicarius - a term sometimes seen on legionary's tombstones).

 

For further information consult Companion to Roman Britain by Peter A Clayton.

 

Does anybody know which emperors after Severus increased the pay of the legions? No doubt, in order to secure a healthy transition to power, most of the 3rd Century emperors increased, or at least promised to increase, the pay of their soldiery.

[WotWotius]

During the transitional time between Domitian and Severus, pay for military personnel stationed on Hadrian's Wall was as follows:

-Legionary: 300.

-Ala trooper: 200.

-Auxiliary infantry: 100.

 

Additional pay for soldiers that had a particular skill (i.e. musicians, clerks and medical staff):

-Pay and a half.

-Double pay (duplicarius - a term sometimes seen on legionary's tombstones).

 

For further information consult Companion to Roman Britain by Peter A Clayton.

 

Does anybody know which emperors after Severus increased the pay of the legions? No doubt, in order to secure a healthy transition to power, most of the 3rd Century emperors increased, or at least promised to increase, the pay of their soldiery.

[votadini]

Does anybody know which emperors after Severus increased the pay of the legions? No doubt, in order to secure a healthy transition to power, most of the 3rd Century emperors increased, or at least promised to increase, the pay of their soldiery.

 

Caracalla, who seems to have trusted no-one but his troops, increased legionary pay to 675 denarii.

[Gladius Hispaniensis]

Ave

Caesar doubled the pay of his legionaries so they received 225 silver denarii a year, that is 9 gold aurei. This rate was maintained until late 1st century CE. It was issued in three installments, known as stipendia, of 75 denarii or 3 gold aurei, probably on the 1 January, 1 May, and 1 September.

At the end of the 1st century, Domitian increased the pay to 300 denarii or 12 aurei. Septimius Severus raised this to 450 denarii. Caracalla increased this by 50 percent

Apparently cavalrymen were payed more than infantry

All the above info from Goldsworthy

[CiceroD]

Does anybody know which emperors after Severus increased the pay of the legions? No doubt, in order to secure a healthy transition to power, most of the 3rd Century emperors increased, or at least promised to increase, the pay of their soldiery.

 

Caracalla, who seems to have trusted no-one but his troops, increased legionary pay to 675 denarii.

 

I assume that Caesar raised the men's pay in order to keep them loyal ( he threw money around anyway)

 

But remember that the Later Roman Empire was rife with inflation.

their denarii had progressively less and less silver in them. Caracalla might have simply been picking up the slack.

 

Does anyone know the value of Denarii from Caracallas' time to compare that of Caesar's?