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The ancient Roman scholar Pliny the Elder thought that the word salarium (salary) came from salarius (salt), and said this was because in the old days soldiers were paid in salt. However, he wriote in the mid-first century A.D. and was referring to a nonspecific and hazily remembered distant past. This was unlikely to have been the case. At most the soldiers would have received an allowance for the purchase of salt, probably because the price of salt was liable to increase at times of military conflict.

The ancient Roman historian Livy wrote that pay for the soldiers was introduced in 405 B.C. when Rome decided to besiege the neighbouring Etruscan city of Veii. Livy also said that this pay was called stipendium and that a tax, which was called tributum, was raised to fund this pay. The soldiers were paid with money. The first mention of the amount of money the soldiers received was by the Greek scholar Polybius, who, writing in the second century B.C., said that they were given two (Greek) oboli per day which was the equivalent of 100 Roman asses a month.

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14y ago

The Roman army was paid in the good old silver sisterces and bronze denarii. There is an old myth of them being paid in salt, but the term "salt money" could be considered to be a slang term for a bonus for a particularily difficult undetaking. Afterall, no man would join the army, train, put his life on the line for a sack of salt.

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Q: What mineral did roman soldiers receive as their pay?
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What Kitchen seasoning was used to pay roman soldiers?

salt


What complaints did Roman Soldiers about life in the Army?

The Roman soldier had the standard gripes about army life as present day soldiers. Some of these were the lack of sleep, the discipline, the amount of deductions from their pay, the attitude of their centurion, and the food.


What did Marius do to reform the Roman army?

a general by the name of Gaius Marius began to change the army. He was afraid Rome was going to be attacked by barbarians. The Romans called everyone who wasn't a Roman or Greek a barbarian. He began to let poor plebians join the army. From now on, generals paid their soldiers. The soldiers were now loyal to their general, not the Republic. Eventually, generals like Julius Cesar came to power. He was the richest man in Rome, and his army was totally loyal to him


Did emperors pay for bloody fights in the Roman Colosseum to gain popularity?

Yes


How did the Roman Empire recruit soldiers?

From 753 BC to 107 BC the Roman army was a citizen militia. It drafted peasant- proprietors who owned a farm. Those who did not own land were exempted. This was because they were poor. The soldiers had to procure and pay for the military equipment themselves. From 107 BC on the army became professional, the state paid for the military equipment and the citizens volunteered to join the army. The poor flocked to the army because it gave them a career, a pay and, on retirement, either a lump sum of money or a plot of land for them to farm.

Related questions

What Kitchen seasoning was used to pay roman soldiers?

salt


Why did the paratroopers receive extra monthly pay?

Because they were considered Elite soldiers.


Is there a payment for army leave?

Soldiers on leave continue to receive their regular pay.


What mineral did Romans receive as their pay?

The ancient Roman scholar Pliny the Elder thought that the word salarium (salary) came from salarius (salt), and said this was because in the old days soldiers were paid in salt. However, he wriote in the mid-first century A.D. and was referring to a nonspecific and hazily remembered distant past. This was unlikely to have been the case. At most the soldiers would have received an allowance for the purchase of salt, probably because the price of salt was liable to increase at times of military conflict. The ancient Roman historian Livy wrote that pay for the soldiers was introduced in 405 B.C. when Rome decided to besiege the neighbouring Etruscan city of Veii. Livy also said that this pay was called stipendium and that a tax, which was called tributum, was raised to fund this pay. The soldiers were paid with money. The first mention of the amount of money the soldiers received was by the Greek scholar Polybius, who, writing in the second century B.C., said that they were given two (Greek) oboli per day which was the equivalent of 100 Roman asses a month.


What complaints did Roman Soldiers about life in the Army?

The Roman soldier had the standard gripes about army life as present day soldiers. Some of these were the lack of sleep, the discipline, the amount of deductions from their pay, the attitude of their centurion, and the food.


When was Soldiers Pay created?

Soldiers Pay was created in 2004.


Did roman soldiers get their food free?

Roman soldiers got their food: 1) through supplies to the army by the Roman state form the breadbaskets of the Roman Empire (Egypt, Tunisia and Sicily) 2) through the purchase of food from producers in the area where a legion was stationed by the commanders of the legion 3) though private purchases from local traders by the soldiers 4) though hunting in the local area by soldiers during their spare time 5) when travelling on campaigns the legionaries would obtain their food through pillaging


What is the duration of Soldiers Pay?

The duration of Soldiers Pay is 2100.0 seconds.


How much did the black soldiers get paid in Vietnam war?

fifty percent -- White soldiers were paid $13 per month while black soldiers were paid $10 with a $3 deduction for clothing, resulting in a net pay of $7. To answer your question, then; black soldiers were paid $6 dollars less than white soldiers, almost half as much. This was ended with the equal pay act passed by Congress in June, 1864 where it was stipulated that black soldiers would receive the same pay, supplies, etc. as white soldiers.


What were the advantages of being a roman soldiers?

Joining the Roman army gave you a 20-year career, a pay and on discharge, the grant of either a sizable lump sum of money or a plot of land to farm.


When did the ancient Roman government begin to pay the soldiers in its legions a salary?

Roman soldiers begun the receive a pay in 405 BC, during the war which they fought against the nearby Etruscan city of Veii and which led to the destruction of Veii in 396 BC. At this time Rome did not have a professional army yet. Its army was a citizen militia of peasants who were recruited only during the military campaigning season (March 19 to October 19) and then went back to their farms. The professional army was created in 107 BC, with a career which lasted 16 years and which later was lengthened to 20 years. In addition to a pay, professional soldiers also received a grant of a plot of land or a sizable lump sum of money on retirement.


At the beginning of the Civil War how much did Privates receive in pay each month in the Union and how much did they receive in the Confederacy?

Soldiers on both sides earned 11 dollars a month which was a lot of money in those days.