Topic summary
Denarii
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Denarius.
Value, comparisons and silver content
It is difficult to give even rough comparative values for money from before the 20th century, as the range of products and services available for purchase was so different. During the republic (509 BC – 27 BC), a legionary earned 112.5 denarii per year (0.3 denarii per day). Under Julius Caesar, this was doubled to 225 denarii/yr, with soldiers having to pay for their own food and arms, while during the reign of Augustus, a centurion received at least 3,750 denarii per year and one of the highest rank received 15,000 denarii.