aerarium militare

ancient Roman treasury

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July 23, 2026

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The aerarium militare was an ancient Roman treasury established by Emperor Augustus in AD 6. Its primary purpose was to fund retirement bonuses for discharged soldiers or to purchase land for them. This military treasury was supplied by taxes collected from sales, inheritances, and property.

The aerarium militare was distinct from the main public treasury, the aerarium, which was housed in the Temple of Saturn. While the aerarium managed general state revenues and served as an archive, the aerarium militare specifically addressed the financial needs of the Roman military. Over time, the aerarium itself diminished in importance as emperors increasingly utilized their personal treasury, the fiscus, for state expenditures.12

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aerarium
…founded a second treasury, the aerarium militare (military treasury). The old treasury was thereafter known as aerarium Saturni, eventually becoming the municipal treasury of the city of Rome. The new treasury’s function was to pay bounties to discharged veterans or purchase land for them. It was supplied with funds from…
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…founded a second treasury, the aerarium militare (military treasury). The old treasury was thereafter known as aerarium Saturni, eventually becoming the municipal treasury of the city of Rome. The new treasury’s function was to pay bounties to discharged veterans or purchase land for them. It was supplied with funds from…
Read More

ancient Rome
The army
…from a special treasury (aerarium militare) established in ad 6 and maintained out of the sales tax and Roman citizens’ death duties. Under Augustus the praetorians were normally Italians, but many legionaries and virtually all auxiliaries were provincials, mainly from the imperial provinces in the west, the legionaries coming…
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…from a special treasury (aerarium militare) established in ad 6 and maintained out of the sales tax and Roman citizens’ death duties. Under Augustus the praetorians were normally Italians, but many legionaries and virtually all auxiliaries were provincials, mainly from the imperial provinces in the west, the legionaries coming…
Read More