3/8/2023 0 Comments Denarius worth![]() ![]() He, it is believed, under cover of assisting the emperor’s struggles to vomit, plunged a feather, dipped in a quick poison, down his throat: for he was well aware that crimes of the first magnitude are begun with peril and consummated with profit.įinally, at the time of his death, Xenophon accumulated a fortune of 30 million sesterces 7. Agrippina was in consternation: as the last consequences were to be apprehended, immediate infamy would have to be braved and she fell back on the complicity - which she had already assured - of the doctor Xenophon. At the same time, a motion of his bowels appeared to have removed the danger. the poison was sprinkled on an exceptionally fine mushroom though, as a result of his natural p415 sluggishness or intoxication, the effects of the drug were not immediately felt by Claudius. According to Tacitus, he was to take part in an attempt to kill Claudius. It is worth noting that Xenophon did not go down in history because of his medical skills, but rather became famous for his wealth and immorality. Interestingly, high-ranking imperial officials received a maximum of 200,000 sesterces, which emphasizes how strong Xenophon managed to achieve. In this way, the court physician would be able to pay the annual wages of over 600 legionaries. During Claudius’ reign, he managed to double his salary from 250,000 to 500,000 sesterces. ![]() Through his long work at the imperial court, he managed to earn 600,000 sesterces per year. DoctorsĬreative Commons Attribution License - Share Alike 3.0.Īn example of a wealthy physician was a certain Stertinius Xenophon, who was the personal medic Caligula, Claudius and Nero. For this, the famous orator was forced to take out a large loan what was normal in the ancient world. Cicero was to buy a house from him in 62 BCE, which was located in a prestigious place – on the Palatine Hill – for 3.5 million sesterces. Crassus also multiplied wealth in a more traditional way, trading slaves.Īccording to Pliny the Elder, Marcus Licinius Crassus had a fortune of 200 million sesterces 6. Thus, he became the owner of a large part of Roman properties. When the fire broke out, Crassus and his “firemen” (a unit of 500 slaves) appeared on the spot and first bought the burning building and the ground for a song, and only then his men start putting out the fire. He organized a “fire brigade” for the city of Rome. He made a lot of money in construction, silver mining, and interest-bearing loans. The famous Roman politician Marcus Licinius Crassus (114 – 53 BCE) was certainly the richest Roman 1st century BCE, if not the richest in the whole history of Rome. Of course, the greatest wealth could be accumulated by the owners of latifundia, estates, and above all by active politicians who, taking high positions (especially the governorship of the provinces), could multiply their possessions. He was killed in 53 BCE shortly after the battle of Carrhae by the Parthians who, according to ancient sources, poured liquid gold into his throat 5. Marcus Licinius Crassus was certainly one of the richest Romans in history. In addition, the progressive “deterioration” of money, by reducing the value of precious metals in coins by successive rulers, caused the prices and expected remuneration to rise up. In the 2nd century CE, the centurion’s salary was already 15,000 sesterces, which proves how much support the emperors had in the army and how much attention they paid to the morale and support of the army. A centurion (commander of a centuria) could always count on a much higher salary, compared to an ordinary legionary, and so during the reign of Domitian, he could count on an annual salary of 1800 sesterces (compared to 1200 legionaries). In Domitian (81-96 CE) it increased to 1,200, in Septimius Severus (193 -211 CE) to 2400, from Caracalla (211-217 CE) to 3600 sesterces and Maximinus Thrax (235-238 CE) raised the pay to 1,800 denarii (7,200 sesterces). Julius Caesar (mid 1st century BCE) raised the wage to 225 denarii (900 sesterces), which was sustained during the reign of Octavian Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE). Writers in the 2nd century BCE Polybius reports that the soldier received a daily wage of 2 oboles, which was about 120 denarii per year (480 sesterces). Thus, the wages of the Roman army were gradually increased over the years. When considering prices in ancient Rome, it is also worth looking at what pay a Roman legionary could count on.
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