The cost of living in Pompeii

The cost of living in Pompeii seems to have been relatively low.

The Roman currency was comprised of coins which included asses (copper), dupondii (bronze), sestertii (bronze), denarii (silver) and aurei (gold).
Other denominations used were the quadrans, the quinarius argenteus and the quinarius aureus.

According to the sums of money found on the bodies of its inhabitants, Pompeii had some wealthy citizens.

coins in Pompeii

Some examples of basic costs are

Foodstuff:

A measure of ordinary wine     1as

A loaf of bread                          2 asses

A pound (0.33kg) of oil             2 dupondii

A modius (6.5kg) of wheat        15 dupondii

Utensils

Pot                           1 as

Plate                        1 as

Drinking cup            2 asses

General

Laundering a tunic           4 sestertii

A new tunic                     15 sestertii

1 mule                             130 denarii

1 slave                             630 denarii

Schermata 09-2457281 alle 18.27.16

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One thought on “The cost of living in Pompeii

  1. It would be interesting to know the exchange rate among those coins. How many asses equaled a dupondii? Etcetera. And, what was the difference between a dupondii and a sestertii? The difference between a denarii and a quinarius argentaeus?

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