Name	Metal	Values
	as	bronze	--
	dupondius	bronze or copper	2 asses
	sestertius	metal alloy	4 asses or 2 dupondii
	denarius	silver alloy	16 asses, 8 dupondii or 4 sestertii
	aureus	gold	400 asses, 200 dupondii, 100 sestertii or 25 denarii

 

 

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Wages

What did it cost?

Farm laborer, with meals = 25 denarii Painter of walls, with meals = 75 denarii Painter of pictures, with meals = 160 denarii Camel driver or donkey driver = 25 denarii Barber, per man = 2 denarii Sewer cleaner, full day's work = 25 denarii Elementary teacher, per boy, monthly = 50 denarii Grammaticus (Greek or Latin language and literature, geometry), per student, monthly = 200 denarii Bath attendant, per bather = 2 denarii

half-liter of Falernian (best quality) wine = 30 denarii half-liter of beer = 4 denarii 4 pounds of dessert grapes = 4 denarii 1 army measure of meat = 100 denarii 1 army measure of beans = 100 denarii fresh olive oil, about 1 pint = 40 denarii honey, best quality, about 1 pint = 40 denarii 1 pound of pork = 12 denarii 1 pound of beef = 8 denarii freshwater fish = 8 denarii farm worker's boots = 120 denarii shoes, senatorial = 100 denarii woman's boots = 60 denarii 1 pound of white silk = 12,00 denarii 1 pound of genuine purple silk = 150,000 denarii

If you had lived in ancient Rome, you might have done your shopping here, in Trajan's Market.