Roman Economy - Prices in Ancient Rome:

Daily Life:

The bread consumption in ancient Rome was quite high. A average male roman ate about 2 pound bread a day.
The ultimate unit of measurement for wheat was the Modius (plural: modii).
One modius equals 20.7 libra (1 libra (roman pound) = 322.5 g) equals 6.67 kg.
For the average monthly bread consumption for one person about 4 modii (26.68 kg = 58.8 pound) were neccesary.
One modius was used to produce 16 - 20 one pound loaves.

Virtually no price information for meat, fruits and vegetables is handed down.

1 Denari = 4 Sestertii = 16 As

Monthly Income and Prices for 1 modius Wheat in the 1st century AD:

Job Denari / month Secretary 15 Lecturer 12 Messenger 9 Haruspex (fortune teller) 10 Legionary Soldier (Private) 20 Praetorian (guard in Rome) 60 Legionary Soldier (Centurion) ~300 6th century AD laborer/semi-skilled worker 9 folles/day 10-20 solidi / year

Location Price / As Rome up to 32 provincial Italy 16 Africa 9 - 16 Asia minor 8 - 16 Palestine 10 - 12 Egypt (bread basket) 7 - 9

Other Prices:

1st century AD Price 1 modius wheat see above and right 1 loaf bread 1 dupondius (=2 As ; in Rome) 1 sextarius wine (~0.5 liter) 1 - 5 as 1 sextarius fine wine up to 30 as a bath at a public bath 1/4 as 1 tunika (clothing) 15 sestertii 1 donkey 500 sestertii 1 slave 2000 sestertii = 500 denarii (up to 1500) 1 female slave 2000 - 6000 denarii 1 morgan land 1000 sestertii = 250 denarii

Average price in As for 1 Modius wheat: (values of Rome and Italy derived from Egypt)   Rome Italy Egypt 18BC-14AD 16 8 4 14 - 98 32 16 8 98 - 192 40 20 10 193 - 260 68 34 17

Pompeii 79 AD	Price
1 modii wheat	7 sestertii = 28 as
1 modii rye	3 sestertii = 12 as
1 litra (1/3 kg) oil	1 sestertii = 4 as
1 pound bread	1 as
1/2 liter tablewine	1 as
1/2 liter fine wine	2 - 4 as
1 pot	1 as
1 dish	1 as
1 oillamp	1 as
1 bucket	2 sestertii = 8 as
1 tunika (clothes)	15 sestertii = 3 den. 3 ses.
1 donkey	500 sestertii = 125 den.
1 slave	2500 sestertii = 625 den.
1 fine for a criminal action	25 sestertii = 6 den. 1 ses.

mid 3rd cent.	Price / Antoninianii
1 fishing net	14
1 fish trap	6
1 small fishing boat	186
1 cooking pot	3
1 oil lamp	1
1 loaf of bread (1 pound)	1 (province)
1 sextarius wine	4
1 soldiers winter-cape	75
camel-leather boots	20
light leather shoes	12
1 sword	60
1 donkey	145
1 horse	250
1 healthy & strong slave	800-1200

~ 6th cent.	Price
1 unskilled slave	20 solidi
vegetables per day	5 folles (10 solidii / year)
1 lb. fish	6 folles
1 loaf of bread	3 folles (= half a day's labor wages)
1 wool blanket	1/25 solidus
1 second-hand cloak	1 solidus
1 donkey	3-4 solidii
1 copy of the New Testament	3 solidii

501: famine in Edessa	Price
wheat	rose from 30 to 4 bushels / solidus
barley	rose from 50 to 6 bushels / solidus

40 bronze nummi = 1 copper follis
180 folles (7,200 nummi) = 1 solidus
72 solidi = half lb. of gold

Time	Soldier Income / Day	Price f. 1 Mod. Wheat see note 3
211 - 210 BC see note 1		20 - 24 as
203 BC		4 as
200 - 150 BC	3 as	4 as
141 BC see note 2	5 as	6 as
123 BC		6.33 as
100 BC		8 as
73 BC	5 as	12 as
46 BC	10 as (unskilled labourer 12 As)	12 as
0	10 as	16 as = 1 den.
60 AD	16 as	32 as = 2 den.
170 AD	13 as	40 as = 2 den. 8 as
218 AD	16 as = 1 denar	68 as = 4 den. 4 as
305 AD		2 - 10 nummi see note 4

Note 1: Time of the devastation of Latinum by Hanibal.
Note 2: Retarification of the Denar: before 141 BC: 1 denarius = 10 As ; after 141 BC: 1 denarius = 16 As
Note 3: Average price in Rome (for provincial Rome half price ; for Egypt 1/4 price)
Note 4: After struggling with the economy and a money reform in 214 AD the nummi was introduced in 294.
It had the same buying power like the denari in early times. 2 nummi in Egypt ; 10 nummi in Rome.

Consumption of a family of 4 per year in Rome:

* in the Roman Republic (175 - 150 BC):

A family of 4 persons needed the following goods per year, where 40% were consumpted by the adult male in the family.

120 modii wheat (= 800 kg)	480 as
120 sextarii of oil (= 65 liter)	80 as
720 sextarii of wine (= 400 liter)	120 as
	680 as = 68 denari (see note 2)
Soldier Income: ~100 denari / year

* in the Roman Empire (75 - 125 AD):

Rome : 200 denari for wheat, oil, wine (2 - 2.5 as per day)

Provincial regions: 100 denari

EXAMPLES:

Republic: 137 BC: 1 denarius paid a soldier for 3 days. Enough to buy wheat for one month.
1 As ~ 1 loaf of bread

Bibliography:

Duncan-Jones - The economy of the Roman empire
Kenneth W. Harl - Coinage in the Roman Empire

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Adkins - Handbook to life in ancient Rome:

time	payment	comments
2nd century BC	legionary: 1/2 denarius /day centurion: 1 denarius / day cavalryman: 1 1/2 denarii / day	soldiers also received an allowance of corn deducted from their pay
mid. 1st cent. BC	legionary: 112.5 denarii / year
time of Caesar	legionary: 225 denarii / year
time of Augustus	legionary: 225 denarii / year praetorian guard: 375 denarii / year centurion: 3750 - 15000 denarii / year	at the end of Augustus reign: praetorian guard: 750 denarii / year
83-84 AD (Domitian)	legionary: 300 denarii / year praetorian guard: 1000 denarii / year centurion: 5000 - 20000 denarii / year
time of Sept. Severus	legionary: 459 denarii / year centurion: 8333 - 33333 denarii / year
time of Caracalla	legionary: 675 denarii / year

In general: early empire:
auxiliary infantry: 1/3 legionary pay
auxiliary cavalry: 2/3 legionary pay

Adkins - Handbook to life in ancient Greece:

time	payment	comments
late 5th cent. BC	workman: 1 drachma / day assistant: 3 obols / day agricultural laborers: 4 obols / day + food for 2 obols / day
beginning 4th cent. BC	foreman of a gang of bricklayers: 2 drachmas / day 12-15 drachmas / 1000 bricks	wages gradually became bases on piecework than on daily rate
mid. 4th cent. BC	@Delphi plasterers 1 - 2.5 dra. / day
end 4th cent. BC	@Eleusis: bricklayer, carpenter, plasterer 2.5 drachmas / day 17 drachmas / 1000 bricks sawyer 2 drachmas / day laborer 1.5 drachmas / day

Fee for attandance of the Assembly in Athens	4th cent. BC: 4 regular meetings in each prytany (40 per year); fee introduced in 400 BC; 1 obol per meeting initially; 6 obols in 327 BC with 9 obols for the main meeting in each prytany
payment for jurors at the law courts	trials by juries instituted in the 5th cent. BC; payment introduced by Pericles; initially 2 obols / day; 425 BC 3 obols / day
military training for 18 year-old men	2 years training; after 305 BC ceased to be compulsory; 282 BC 1 year training before 305 BC (compulsory): daily allowance of 4 obols / day

last updated: 15/NOV/2003