Being a Roman legionary in the province of Judea in the 1st century AD was not the most lucrative activity. A recently examined papyrus by experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority sheds new light on the finances of the soldiers who besieged and occupied the fortress of Masada, 50 kilometers south of Jerusalem, during the First Jewish-Roman War (66-74 AD).
According to the “paycheck,” various equipment expenses deducted at the source represented most of a legionary’s pay.
The fragmentary papyrus indicates that a very substantial part of the annual salary of a Roman soldier was spent on the purchase of boots, a linen tunic, and fodder for his horse.
A legionary’s pay varied according to various criteria, such as his seniority or his specialty. Fixed at 225 denarii per year for most of the 1st century, a simple legionary’s pay could reach up to three times as much, depending on the positions entrusted to him. A Praetorian Guard, the elite corps of the Roman army, received 730 denarii per year. Both could also receive bonuses.
The legionary could possibly gain an additional income from plunder. The prospect of war booty was one of the main motivations of the Roman legionary, but it was not his only means of parallel enrichment. Some soldiers became usurers. A loan agreement signed between a Roman soldier and a Jewish resident shows that the soldier charged interest far above what was then legal.