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.
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
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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