Military Tribune Pay?

[Adriangunn]

Hi,

Does anyone have an information of if military tribunes during the Principate were paid, and if so, how much? I haven't been able to find anything in any of my normal references, nor have I found anything online except one reference from:

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...ndium.html

This reference suggests tribunes were paid "not less than 48 aurei per annum, after the time of Domitian." It's from 1875 though, so.....

This seems a little low since that only works out to 1,200 denarii/year one reference I've seen on centurion pay during the same era suggests they were paid 4,500 denarii/year.

Thanks!

Adrian

[Frank]

If I remember right, M.Alexander Speidel covered this topic in his article "Roman Army Pay Scales (1992)".

http://www.jstor.org/stable/301286?seq=1...b_contents

He came to the conclusion, that a prefectus cohortis got the same pay as an ordinary legionary centurio (13.500 HS pre-Domitian). And a tribunus militum or tribunus cohortis the same as a centurio primi ordinis (27.000 HS). Because equestrians often choosed to switch to a career as centurio of this rank.

A tribunus in the roman cohorts got more, because this promotion comes after primipilus (about 100.000 HS for a tribunus praetorio).

You may find the roman sources available in the footnotes of his article. Of course, some of Speidels figures are just a logical conclusion or best guess. We are still digging for the famous "Manual of the Roman Army".

PS: If you register on JSTOR, you can read 3 articles per month for free.

[Nathan Ross]

He came to the conclusion, that a prefectus cohortis got the same pay as an ordinary legionary centurio (13.500 HS pre-Domitian).

Although Florus seems to suggest the tres militiae paid better than the centurionate (If the greatest emperor had granted me... command over a hundred men, I would regard that as an honour of no small moment; and similarly if a prefecture or tribunate, for the honour is the same except that the pay is greater.Vergilius Orator an Poeta, III.5).

It's very tricky to reach any sort of satisfactory conclusion on this question, but there's a pretty good attempted pay scale for all equestrian and centurion grades here.

[Adriangunn]

Frank,

Thanks for the info. I'm a JSTOR subscriber already, just downloaded the article. 

Vale,

Adrian

---

He came to the conclusion, that a prefectus cohortis got the same pay as an ordinary legionary centurio (13.500 HS pre-Domitian).

Although Florus seems to suggest the tres militiae paid better than the centurionate (If the greatest emperor had granted me... command over a hundred men, I would regard that as an honour of no small moment; and similarly if a prefecture or tribunate, for the honour is the same except that the pay is greater.Vergilius Orator an Poeta, III.5).

It's very tricky to reach any sort of satisfactory conclusion on this question, but there's a pretty good  attempted pay scale for all equestrian and centurion grades here.

Nathan,

Thanks, interesting reading!

Vale,

Adrian

[ParthianBow]

Interesting topic, thanks. What unit of currency is 'HS' - something sestertii?

[Adriangunn]

Interesting topic, thanks. What unit of currency is 'HS' - something sestertii?

HS (or II S) is the standard abbreviation for sestertii.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...rtius.html

-Adrian

[Damianus Albus]

Don't know about principate but in my thesis I have one small chapter about stipendio during times of Ceasar.
(note that Im not sure if I translate name of the currency correct)
Legionare: 10 aces daily. 225 denaries annually. 1 denaris - 16 aces so montly it was 19 denaris/300aces.
Keep in mind that daily need for a poor faimily was 8 aces and wage-earning worker recevied 12 aces daily.

Centuriones received two times more that legionares.
Higher magistri even four times.

[Frank]

Centuriones received two times more that legionares.
Higher magistri even four times.

Where are these figures from and which republican timeframe? 

The 225 denarii are from Julius Caesars times. Are the figures about centurions and higher officers from the same time? Or are they from the pre-marian army?

[Damianus Albus]

Centuriones received two times more that legionares.
Higher magistri even four times.

Where are these figures from and which republican timeframe? 

The 225 denarii are from Julius Caesars times. Are the figures about centurions and higher officers from the same time? Or are they from the pre-marian army?

I clearly stated the data comes from end of the Republic, Ceasar's times.
I can also add that annually I legion costed 1 750 000 denaries.

I also have numbers about pre-marian army, but it's hard to say it was stipendio becasue the army was not professional.

As for the source, I think it hardly tells you anything cause it's polish language.

Graczkowski Andrzej, Armia rzymska w okresie schyłku republiki: organizacja, uzbrojenie, taktyka, Toruń 2009

[Frank]

Thank you for the clarification. I guess the pre-marian relations are not that different. Also about double pay for the centurions and perhaps nothing for tribunes in earlier times. Even if the pay for the ordinary legionary was lower and just meant to be a kind of expense allowance. In the earlier republic there was even no pay at all; just loot.

We see, that Augustus' military reform established intentionally a professional, loyal and well payed officer corps. The difference between 2-4 times the pay of a legionary and 10-30 times is stunning.

[Damianus Albus]

As for the pre-marian era: there wasn't a thing called stipendio, you are right.
Any money came from spoils of war BUT we can still say something more about it.
Normal soldier recevied around 2 obols.

After Marian's reform it was 5 aces and 5 aces = 2 obols

As for the August's reforms I can't say a word cause my thesis was about Republic.

[Frank]

Just to make my point clear, even if we got no clear evidence about earlier times pay

early republic: nothing, just loot
mid-republic: small expense allowance for legionaries, centurions perhaps double, tribunes perhaps nothing (its an honor)
late republic: 225 D, centurions double, equites 4 times
principate: 300 D, centurions 15-30 times, equites 15-100+ times, legati 200+

Looks like a slow evolution during republican times and a revolution of the officers pay-model with Augustus.

[Damianus Albus]

For the source of double and quadruple for centuriones and higher magistri look in Polibius VI 39.

If you are intrested in, I can give you numbers of sesterces/drachmes which commanders like Lukullus gave to their soldiers after specific battles as a bonus.

[Gunthamund Hasding]

Damian very interesting, I think you should at least write an extensive ENGLISH paper from your thesis it will be welcomed and of course much discussed as the pay of the legionaries is a highly discussed topic in the community. BTW if you have an electronic copy and wiling to share it with me I have a polish colleague here that might help me with translation can you please PM me with your email.

[Damianus Albus]

Damian very interesting, I think you should at least write an extensive ENGLISH paper from your thesis it will be welcomed and of course much discussed as the pay of the legionaries is a highly discussed topic in the community. BTW if you have an electronic copy and wiling to share it with me I have a polish colleague here that might help me with translation can you please PM me with your email.

I don't want to dissapoint you but stipendio is just small part of my work. Like one and a half page
Mostly it's about roman law. If I translated topic it would be "Legion and legionare in roman law".
First chapter give you a glance from historical point of view.
Second is about organisation of legiones, way to promote, training, who could become a legionare etc.
Third one is more law-ish. Discipline, penal law, responsibilities, punishments and awards.
Fourth is my favourite. It's about "Law from Ruffus". A whole codex of military offences and punishments. It's very interesting because it looks like our penal codes, I mean, "If soldier do this, the punishment will be this one". For example:

If a soldier wounds himself, or in any other way attempts to take his own life: if suffering from physical pain, or if he is driven to it by sickness or madness, or if he preferred death to disgrace, then of course he is not put to death, bit is dishonorably discharged. If, on the other hand, he offers nothing of the sort as a defense for having attempted to kill himself, then he shall be punished with death.


This code has 65 offences.

And the last chapter is purely about law. Stipendio, testametum militis, donatio civitas, peculium castrense, etc.

So as you can see, there isnt much about wage for soldiers

But it is a good subject to work on. I will consider this in near future.