Out Shoppin'
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:32 am
Avete Romani!!
I have here a little book called Pompeii: The Day a City Died. In the back of it are reprinted several contemporary documents. And among these are a week's worth of shopping-lists for a small Pompeiian household, with prices. Now, I'm pretty sure I saw a request for some such information; but I don't remember in which thread, or even which Collegium, as it was a long time ago. So I'm posting selections of it here...
[atque memento: 4 asses = 1 sestertius; 4 sestertii = 1 denarius; 25 denarii = 1 aureus.]
- a modius (14 pounds) of corn: 12 asses
- a modius of wheat: 30 asses
- a modius of lupins (beans, I think): 3 asses
- a pound of oil: 4 asses
- a measure of ordinary wine: 1 as
- a measure of fine wine: 4 asses
- a stewpot: 1 as
- a plate: 1 as
- a small drinking-vase: 2 asses
- a bucket: 9 asses
- a lamp: 1 as
- a silver sieve, if you just had to have one: 90 denarii
- a tunic: 15 sesterces
--- take said tunic to the cleaners: 1 denarius
- a mule: 520 sesterces
- two slaves: 5048 sesterces
- cheese: 1 as
- bread for family: 8 asses
- bread for slave: 2 asses
- onions: 5 asses
- semolina: 3 asses
- dates: 1 as
- incense: 1 as
- hard wheat: 16 asses
- black pudding: 1 as
- soft cheese: 4 asses
- leeks: 1 as
- small fishes: 2 asses
Okay. Consider that the as was the Roman equivalent of the penny...
...and the sestertius filled the role of a quarter...
...and the denarius, being the actual unit of exchange, was basically used like a dollar.
Then consider all those supermarkets that advertise their "Low, LOW Prices!!!", and dare any competitor to beat them.
What say we each print out this list and show the loudmouths what competition really looks like!?!
** Marius sprouts an absolutely Fiendish Evil Grin, wolfish as well **
In amicitia,
I have here a little book called Pompeii: The Day a City Died. In the back of it are reprinted several contemporary documents. And among these are a week's worth of shopping-lists for a small Pompeiian household, with prices. Now, I'm pretty sure I saw a request for some such information; but I don't remember in which thread, or even which Collegium, as it was a long time ago. So I'm posting selections of it here...
[atque memento: 4 asses = 1 sestertius; 4 sestertii = 1 denarius; 25 denarii = 1 aureus.]
- a modius (14 pounds) of corn: 12 asses
- a modius of wheat: 30 asses
- a modius of lupins (beans, I think): 3 asses
- a pound of oil: 4 asses
- a measure of ordinary wine: 1 as
- a measure of fine wine: 4 asses
- a stewpot: 1 as
- a plate: 1 as
- a small drinking-vase: 2 asses
- a bucket: 9 asses
- a lamp: 1 as
- a silver sieve, if you just had to have one: 90 denarii
- a tunic: 15 sesterces
--- take said tunic to the cleaners: 1 denarius
- a mule: 520 sesterces
- two slaves: 5048 sesterces
- cheese: 1 as
- bread for family: 8 asses
- bread for slave: 2 asses
- onions: 5 asses
- semolina: 3 asses
- dates: 1 as
- incense: 1 as
- hard wheat: 16 asses
- black pudding: 1 as
- soft cheese: 4 asses
- leeks: 1 as
- small fishes: 2 asses
Okay. Consider that the as was the Roman equivalent of the penny...
...and the sestertius filled the role of a quarter...
...and the denarius, being the actual unit of exchange, was basically used like a dollar.
Then consider all those supermarkets that advertise their "Low, LOW Prices!!!", and dare any competitor to beat them.
What say we each print out this list and show the loudmouths what competition really looks like!?!
** Marius sprouts an absolutely Fiendish Evil Grin, wolfish as well **
In amicitia,