Salt and salary: Were Roman soldiers paid in salt? (2017)
Roman-era pay and the etymology of “salary” prompt a re‑examination of the popular claim that soldiers were literally paid in salt; participants point to historical wage data, coin finds, and the logistics and low unit value of salt to argue this is a myth, even if salt itself was vital and often state-controlled. The exchange broadens into how workers past and present are compensated partly in kind (food, beer, coal, stock, vouchers) and how such practices intersect with tax systems. A recurring theme is how attractive but poorly sourced stories about history, science, and religion become entrenched “facts,” illustrating the limits of expert authority and the need to scrutinize familiar narratives.
Myth of Roman Soldiers Being Paid in Salt
- Commenters generally accept the article’s conclusion: Roman soldiers were not literally paid in salt.
- Some note that “salarium” is better understood as “salt money” or an allowance related to expenses, not physical salt.
- Back-of-the-envelope calculations using Roman pay and price edicts show that a “salary in salt” would imply implausibly huge quantities (liters per week), reinforcing that it’s a myth.
- Others argue soldiers were clearly paid in coins and, later, land and citizenship; if anything, pay might have been pegged to a salt value but settled in currency (not evidenced).
Salt’s Economic Role and Scarcity
- Salt was essential for food preservation, curing meat and fish, treating olives, butter, cheese, hides, and for some crafts/dyeing.
- It was widely traded; regions with salt mines became rich, and salt was often taxed or monopolized by states.
- Debate over scarcity: some say salt was “extremely valuable”; others point out it was priced similarly to wheat by volume and broadly accessible, so valuable but not a luxury.
- Discussion of production: mines vs evaporation from seawater; climate constraints and transport costs make bulk seawater transport unrealistic.
Modern and Historical Payment in Kind
- Many parallels drawn: workers paid or bonused in meat, sausages, beer, coal, candy, stock options, and earmarked stipends (fitness, wellness, meals).
- These benefits often have special tax treatment; in some places, beer allowances are still negotiated and sometimes tax-free.
- Commenters note such perks can both reduce theft and align with workplace culture.
Salt, Diet, and Physiology
- One thread claims ancient people needed large salt intake due to hard labor, sweating, and frequent ketosis from irregular eating.
- Others counter that ancient and medieval diets were high in carbohydrates (grain-based), making frequent ketosis unlikely at normal caloric intake.
- Disagreement over how meat-heavy “premodern” diets really were; claims that “most premodern diets were mostly meat” are strongly challenged.
Related Myths and How They Persist
- Salting the earth: commenters doubt feasibility as a weapon (huge volumes needed, washed away by rain); cited material suggests some salting rituals aimed at renewed fertility/greenery instead.
- Broader thread on how attractive but wrong ideas (salt salary, flat earth in the Middle Ages, simplistic “church vs science” narratives, Galileo stories) get repeated by authorities and become “facts.”
- This leads to a meta-discussion about trusting experts, institutional failures (e.g., historical abuses and war pretexts), and the need for pluralism, checks, and “trust but verify.”