(ORDO NEWS) — Israeli archaeologists have unearthed a papyrus detailing the wages of a Roman soldier garrisoning one of Judea’s most formidable strongholds during the First Jewish War.
Let’s be honest: an increase in salary would not be superfluous.
Masada is an ancient fortress built by King Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BC. It is located on a cliff with steep slopes, which dramatically increases the defense capability of any fortification.
When the Romans took control of Judea, legionnaires were stationed in Masada.
During the First Jewish War, in 66 AD, Masada was taken by the Zealots, and later it came under the control of the Sicarii – this is the most radical group of Zealots who preferred mass terror.
In 70 AD, Jerusalem fell to the Romans, Masada remained the last stronghold of the rebels. In 72 AD, the Legio X Fretensis, commanded by Lucius Flavius Silva, went to Masada to break the resistance of the Sicarii.
The Legion was supported by several auxiliaries and Jewish prisoners of war. Josephus Flavius writes that 15 thousand people came under the walls of Masada.
The population of the fortress did not exceed a thousand people, including women and children.
After several attempts to break through the defenses of Masada, the Romans built a giant siege rampart, raising the western slope to a height of 61 meters.
We have already talked about how the Assyrians used this technology 700 years before our era . The siege tower and battering ram slowly climbed the ramp, and on April 16, 73 AD, the walls of Masada were breached.
Historians describe the events that followed in different ways.
According to Josephus: “By the will of God and out of necessity [they, the Sicarii] had to die,” they drew lots and killed each other in turn, to the last person (since Judaism forbids suicide).
Some researchers believe that the Romans killed the population of Masada.
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority during excavations in Masada found a detailed military calculation (one of three legionary calculations found throughout the Roman Empire), issued to a Roman legionary soldier in 72 AD – that is, during the siege of the fortress by the Romans.
This payroll contains details of a Roman soldier’s pay for two pay periods (out of three he received annually), including various deductions.
The safety of the papyrus does not strike the imagination, but nevertheless, a lot of new things were learned from the text.
For example, it became clear that the cost of the tunic, boots and even barley for the horse issued to him was deducted from the salary of a legionnaire.
As a result, an amazing thing turned out: after all the deductions on hand, the legionnaire received almost nothing and, scientists suggest, was glad that he did not remain a debtor.
The researchers emphasize that although this document gives an idea of the expenses of one soldier in a particular year, it is clear that, given the nature and risk of work, the legionnaires remained in the army not only and not even so much for the sake of a salary.
The authors of the work suggest that soldiers were allowed to loot during military campaigns.
True, in this case it is not entirely clear what to live on during peaceful periods, which sometimes even attacked in Judea, and in other provinces of the empire were completely the norm.
Other assumptions arise from the study of various historical texts kept in the Dead Sea Scrolls Laboratory of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
For example, a document discovered in the Cave of Letters in Nahal Hever, from the time of the Bar Kochba revolt (132-135 AD), sheds light on some of the side trades of the Roman soldiers.
This is a loan agreement signed between a Roman soldier and a Jewish inhabitant, the former charging the latter more than the legal interest.
How often legionnaires engaged in usury is completely unclear: such cases are not mentioned in written sources.
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