Hilarious Ancient Roman Soldier Payslip Reveals How Payday Bills Were Just As Depressing 2,000 Years Ago

Despite having reigned half of the planet 2 millennia ago, the powerful Romans were a little stingy when it came to paying their staff. Archaeologists have recently discovered a prehistoric payslip, disclosing how a soldier was rendered penniless after his money for food and clothes was stripped off by the military.
Gaius Messiues, the man in the payslip, is believed to have taken part in the Siege of Masada, now standing in modern day Israel, between 73 and 75 AD. After he was fully charged for barley, boots and his linen tunic, his measly salary of 50 denarii, a Roman currency, was cancelled out.

Source: The Sun

Dr. Joanne Ball, archaeologist from University of Liverpool, tweeted the picture of the payslip, which was printed on papyrus. She wrote in her post, “Fragment of a payslip belonging to Gaius Messius, a Roman auxiliary soldier in the Legio X Fretensis, found at Masada, dating to the time of the siege. It shows that most of his pay went straight back to the Army to pay for his food, clothing, & equipment.”
The translated version of the text disclosed that the soldier was left flat broke after a long list of deductions, including: 16 denarii for “barley money”, 20 for “food expenses”, 5 for “boots”, 2 for “leather strappings” and 7 for a “linen tunic”. Adding up those together results in 50 denarii, the accurate amount Gaius had to be paid for his services.

Source: Twitter

Fragment of a payslip issued to Roman auxiliary soldier Gaius Messius

The Database of Military Inscriptions and Papyri of Early Roman Palestine, the unit translating the text for TaskAndPurpose, said that it would have rendered the soldier “effectively penniless after payday.” Meanwhile, Dr. Ball, majoring in relics found at Greek and Roman warzones, believed that the practice was usually conducted by Roman chiefs.
"As far as I know all soldiers, both citizen & peregrine, paid for their kit - given to you up front, & taken back from your pay, as was the cost of any replacements, & your food," she tweeted. "Kept the military economy circling, I suppose!"

Source: Getty Images

Masada is a Roman fortress in Israel that overlooks the Dead Sea

At its peak, the Roman empire had a population of more than 90 million people, including inhabitants from Britain and other European countries. The Imperial force is believed to have recruited up to 500,000 soldiers, primarily from conquered areas.
Meanwhile, Masada, built by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BC, was a prehistoric fortification 12 miles east of the Israeli city of Arad. During the First Jewish-Roman War, breaking out in 66 AD and extended to 73 AD, Jewish uprisers rebelled against European invaders.

Source: Getty Images

A siege at the fortress between 73 and 75 AD left more than 900 dead

The Romans issued a crushing response, demolishing Jerusalem and massacring all standing against them, leading to the rebels fleeing to Masada. Tales spoke that the massive fortification was encircled by 8,000 Roman soldiers demanding surrender from the trapped insurgents.
The 960 trapped Jews, including 2 women and 5 children, committed suicide instead of giving up and becoming their foes’ slaves. Masada had laid forgotten for centuries until it was rediscovered in 1828.