Isoroku295

Do we have any possible means to estimate to the cost to fully train and equip a Roman Legion? I'm just curious cause.. well... I am actually started to try to better contemplate the Roman economy and understand the actual real cost of losing/replacing/creating a legion and all

Guaporense

Well, I know it's salary costs:

From 50 BC to 80 AD, the salary of a Legionary was 900 sesterces. Of an auxiliary, it was 750 sesterces. Each legion had 5,120 legionaries, and always had substantial auxiliry forces, usually about 6,000 auxiliares, with a total wage cost of 8,608,000 sesterces per year. Not couting the officers: a centurion had an annual salary of 14,400 sesterces, while a legion legate had an annual salary of 61,000 sesterces, a tribune, 45,000 sesterces, a legion had 45 centurions, 5 tribunes and 1 legate, with a total officer cost of 884,000 sesterces, totaling the annual salary cost of a legion at 9.5 million sesterces, give a couple hundred thousand for the standard bearers, horn-blowers and other functions, increasing the total cost of a legion to 9.7 million sesterces.

The Roman Empire usually maintained 30-33 legions, at a total cost of 291 - 320 million sesterces. Also, they had a navy, with a personnel strength of 50,000 - 60,000 men, adding a cost of perhaps 50-60 million sesterces. So total personnel costs would be ca. 350 million sesterces. The total military expenditures of the Roman Empire to keep their 400,000 men armed forces were estimated at 450 million sesterces, adding 100 million for other costs, such as training and equipment. Note that food and clothing costs were discounted from the salary of the soldiers.

The Roman armed forces of the Early Empire were perhaps the first fully voluntary and fully professional military force. They were also the first fully monetized military force: everything had a monetary cost.

The cost of the armed forces was the largest item in the Roman Imperial Government, the second largest item was the free grain for the citizens of Rome and for the gladiatorial games of Rome. Roman tax revenues were 800 to 1,000 million sesterces, of which about 50% were spend on the military.

Even though the military was the largest item in the Roman imperial expenditures, the size of the Roman armed forces was small relative to the rest of the empire: 400,000 men were 2% of the adult male population of the empire. For comparison, in the 2nd century BC, when Rome only recruited from Italy, they kept armed forces with 13% of the adult male population of Italy. The difference was that they didn't have fully professional soldiers and the costs of equipment were borne by the citizens themselves. The Early Roman Empire, by contrast, had to pay the full costs of the military and only from taxes extracted from the provinces, as Italy didn't pay any taxes.

It is not unreasonable to think that in case of emergency, the Roman tax revenues could be easily increased by several hundred million sestertii, considering their light weight in the empire, as most tax revenues stayed within the civitates and not to Rome. Therefore, the Roman army could be increased by several dozen additional legions if the need arose.

Delenda est Roma

What would the cost of a punic war legion be?

Isoroku295

Go on.. (I'm sure you can't tell, but I'm taking notes)

But I was enformed it was more along 75-80% of the Budget

Also I'm more curious on the cost to actually create a legion. Salary is one thing, but things like recruitment cost, cost to create armour and weapons (including the balistae and Onagers). And I was informed a legionary got a special bonus for recruiting. All that stuff is what I'm fascinated in. I mean, to find such a number would shed alot of light and understanding on the crushing cost of recruiting an army or losing a legion

pugsville

When. Costs would vary mightily according to period. The Republic they were not paid much (I thought mostly plunder) and had to equip themselves. (though some Generals borne part of the cost, and during Emergencies the Senate issues some of the captured weapons (quality?) I think ).

I think most nations budgets were dominated by military expenses till very recently. (end of ww1) When did Governments start providing things like Hospitals, Schools, etc.

Isoroku295

Yes military cost has dropped away from being the great expense since the world wars (god imagine what the US could do with 50-80 Percent of it's budget being military). But lets see.... How about when one could say the Legions (NOT Auxiliary) were at their best trained and equipped. So that would depend on your thoughts. And no I don't mean when Rome was at it's height, when the Legions were at their individual height. But at least before the Legions went from Titans of men to Regiments.

And again, I'm not talking about salary. I mean cost to build. As in if an Emperor built a brand new legion at the time that you consider the individual peek of Legions quality, how much would you estimate the cost to be to train, equip, and provide recruitment bonus (I've been told that many such a bonus existed in Rome) for a full Legion. Of course I don't doubt such numbers can't be estimated, but at least a vague idea may help.

caldrail

You also need to add the cost of donatives to running a legion. Loyalty toward the state was not the patriotic duty it is today. Loyalty was linked by individual personalities in command, and since a legion was dependent on its commander for prosperity (despite being officially paid three times a year), the loyalty of the legion was generally toward its commander. That was the reason for the Imperial Cult - to inspire a sense of duty toward Caesar, which didn't seem to make much difference when the soldiers decided the Caesar in Rome had to go. Hence the desire to keep the legions sweet on becoming Caesar by bribing them to show goodwill and obedience.

Sultan44

the Polybian republican legion was very well equipped and fairly well paid, also guaraponse, sesterces Were a republican currency, During the Imperium Romanum, they were paid in denarii, the Regular legionary Denarii was 225 Denarii, However the net would be less taking food, equipment, etc deductions into account, pluses and raises were occasionally paid, such as the Election of a new emperor, And after a Legionary serves his 25 years term he gets The Praemia, A 3,000 denarii Discharge bonus plus a farming land, the Auxilia's pay was 188 denarii, They Received Donativa's Less occasionally then the Legionaries, their Praemia was a Roman citizenship (Which included tax exemption bonuses).

Sultan44

mate, Donatives were a regular Award every time theres a new caesar, not free money for all

Mangekyou

Cavalryman received more pay than a infantryman (makes sense when you consider the horse fodder and the higher status in general).

Polybius stated that the legions of his time received around; 4 obols for a centurion, 2 obols for an infantryman and a cavalry person recieved 1 drachma. Although this was probably to cover expenses on campaign rather than annual income. I think the obol is greek currency, and I dont know (neither do historians on how he measured currency) but I think its assumed 1 drachma = 1 denarii.

Caesar doubled the pay of his legionaries so that they received 225 silver Denarii a year. This implies that before this reform they were receiving in the region of 112.5 Denarii. This was maintained until the end of the 1st century bc and possibly done in three installments (see fig 1 below).

Domition increased legionary pay to 300 Denarii and Septimus Severus to around around 450 denarii, these figures showing the importance of maintaining the allegiance trust of the legions throughout the centuries. Caracaaella also increased pay by 50% which is probably proof of inflation around the 3rd century ad.

I dont think allied soldiers were paid by Rome, but they received grain ratons for free.

We can also look at the following pay schedule. This is one of two of the best preserved gross pay schedules from Egypt. This is thought to be the pay of an auxulliary soldier as the installments are less than a legionary stipendum;

Then we take into account things like savings and such.