The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook

The soldiers 25
received the second instalment of the same year, 2471/2 drachmas, out
of which
hay 10 drachmas
for food 80 drachmas
boots, socks 12 drachmas
to the standards 4 drachmas
expenditure 106 drachmas
balance deposited to his account 1411/2 drachmas
and had from before 461/2 drachmas
makes a complete total of 188 drachmas
received the third instalment of the same year, 2471/2 drachmas, out of
which
hay 10 drachmas
for food 80 drachmas
boots, socks 12 drachmas
for clothes 1451/2 drachmas
has on deposit 188 drachmas
The view of M. P. Speidel (1973) that this papyrus is a pay record of auxiliary
infantry soldiers, with the sum of 247 1/2 drachmas representing a pay instalment
of 250 drachmas (=sesterces), has now been confirmed by M. A. Speidel (1992).
The discrepancy of 2 1/2 drachmas (=1 per cent) may be explained on the
hypothesis that the government charged a fee for conversion into Egyptian
drachmas; or perhaps it was a deduction for some common fund. It is notable
that auxiliary infantrymen received five-sixths of legionary pay and that alares
were paid more than legionaries, but this may reflect the vital role of the auxilia
in the army and the added expense of serving in the cavalry.
25 Cotton and Geiger 1989:722, papyrus, Masada, AD 72 or 75
In the fourth consulship of Emperor [Ves]pas[ian] Augustus (?)
Pay Account (?)
Gaius Messius, son of Gaius, of the Fabia tribe, from Berytus
I have received as my salary 50 denarii
out of this I have paid:
barley [ _ _ _ ]
[ _ _ _ ]rnius
food 20 denarii
boots 5 denarii
leather straps (?) 2 denarii
linen tunic 7 denarii