centesima rerum venalium

Roman tax

Also known as: centesimarerum venalium

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Last updated

June 24, 2026

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The centesima rerum venalium was a Roman tax introduced around the time of Julius Caesar. It was a general sales tax levied at a rate of 1 percent on the sale of goods.1

While taxation played a less significant role in the ancient world compared to modern times, Rome employed various forms of taxes. These included consumption taxes, customs duties, and direct taxes like the tributum, which was initially a head tax paid by citizens and later extended to real estate. The centesima rerum venalium was one of these indirect taxes on consumption.1

It is important to note that the centumviri was a Roman court of civil jurisdiction, not a tax.2

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taxation
Administration of taxation
…sales tax was introduced (centesima rerum venalium). The provinces relied for their revenues on head taxes and land taxes; the latter consisted initially of fixed liabilities regardless of the return from the land, as in Persia and Egypt, but later the land tax was modified to achieve a certain…
Read More
…sales tax was introduced (centesima rerum venalium). The provinces relied for their revenues on head taxes and land taxes; the latter consisted initially of fixed liabilities regardless of the return from the land, as in Persia and Egypt, but later the land tax was modified to achieve a certain…
Read More