Cost of Roman military equipment

[zakhx150]

Iv had a look about a few places but I was unable to find anythign that directly tackles your question Tony. Hopefully others will have better luck.

Robin Birley (1994 - Garrison life on the Roman Frontier) notes a few points that may be of some small use to you:

In the mid 2nd Century, legionary pay was at around 300 denarii a year, paid in 3 equal isntallments at four-monthly intervals. This had to have been enough to attract a steady supply of recruits, Scheidel (1996) puts the figures of new recruits per annum at around 11,000.

In practice they rarely recieved half their pay, and would be owed it later and later until retirement or death

Its well attested that soldiers had to pay for clothing, weapons, food etc. items of armour were probably made by the legionary workshops


its impossible to give a fixed figure, in my mind at least, but it should by no means constitute the entire first years pay... armour would initially have been a one-off purchase taken in wage cuts as it is...

you might wish to try Vindolanda Tablets Online to see if there are figures floating about in the tablets - theres certainly a few shopping lists and itineraries.

best of luck