Interesting archaeological find in Turkey

[Minimalist]

http://archaeologica.boardbot.com/viewto...=10&t=3671


Even the Romans posted fines for water polluters.

[abaris]

Wow, 5000 to 12.500 Denars is quite heavy. Back in the olden days I used to know what a Denar could buy and it wasn't that little.

I always find it amazing how the Romans were so much like us, as the graffiti in Pompeii show. Here are some dirty ones.

http://heavy.com/entertainment/2013/03/t...-graffiti/

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Wow, 5000 to 12.500 Denars is quite heavy. Back in the olden days I used to know what a Denar could buy and it wasn't that little.

Under Augustus, a centurion of the first rank was paid 15000 denarii per year. One denarius was roughly equivalent in purchasing power to about $30, so yes, that was a pretty stiff fine.

Boru

[abaris]

Under Augustus, a centurion of the first rank was paid 15000 denarii per year.  One denarius was roughly equivalent in purchasing power to about $30, so yes, that was a pretty stiff fine.

Boru

Can't be that much though. This would amount to a Centurion being paid 450.000 a year. Given the force they commanded, it roughly amounts to a company. So their rank, again going by today's standard would be lieutenant. And that certainly doesn't net half a million dollars a year.

[Minimalist]

Some centurions commanded cohorts which would make them something akin to a major.

The denari was supposed to be the standard wage for a laborer for one day during the late Republican/ early Imperial period.

[abaris]

Yes, but roman coin was also subject to inflation quite often. So it's especially difficult to determine it's worth.

I found the time to look at some book in the meantime, where they say that one Denarius roughly amounted to a soldiers pay for a day and that it could buy wheat for a month.. That seems about right in my opinion. So, still a stiff sum.

[Minimalist]

Currency debasement is a game that all governments play. 

You're correct about the practice which makes trying to understand any issue in Roman history dependent on the date.  The denari was introduced during the Second Punic War and continued in common usage for centuries.

[MTL]

I always find it amazing how the Romans were so much like us, as the graffiti in Pompeii show. Here are some dirty ones.

http://heavy.com/entertainment/2013/03/t...-graffiti/

omg omg omg.  I literally laughed so hard I peed myself.

hilarious.

[abaris]

omg omg omg.  I literally laughed so hard I peed myself.

hilarious.

I always do when reading some of these. There's actually one I didn't find in these examples. Some landlord threatening anyone taking a shit in his entrance with being fucked. Pictures involved.

[MTL]

omg omg omg.  I literally laughed so hard I peed myself.

hilarious.

I always do when reading some of these. There's actually one I didn't find in these examples. Some landlord threatening anyone taking a shit in his entrance with being fucked. Pictures involved.

Priceless.