While it is tempting to never let the truth get in the way of a good story sometimes the truth just will not go away. One myth that is beloved by many is based on the word salary. Everyone knows that salary is the money received from an employer over a contract period. Yet no one really knows where the word salary comes from. One common theory is that salary comes from the Latin word sal, meaning salt. People suggest that salary means salt money referencing the idea that Roman soldiers were once paid in salt. While it is a lovely story, it is totally false.
It is true that the English word salary comes from the Latin word salarium, meaning money allowance. Salarium could very well be linked to salt as the Latin word salarius means ‘related to salt’. However, that is where the facts end. Sadly every other part of this story has been made up.
The idea that Roman soldiers were paid in salt does not hold much weight. Evidence suggests that salt was an important item in ancient times but nothing suggests that it was highly valued enough to be used as a currency. Some offer the theory that perhaps salary means salt money as in the money used to buy salt. Again this doesn’t appear to hold up as salt was not of such importance in ancient times.
The most likely explanation is that salt is a metaphor for things that could not be grown by Roman people. As they would not use their money to buy things they could make or grow the wage they received was used for salt and everything else. The term salary most likely means ‘money for salt and all that other stuff’ but that is a little less interesting. There is evidence to support this too as the Greeks have a similar word for salary, opsonion. This word relates to fish but was purely metaphorical, as in use this money to buy items you would usually trade for, i.e. fish and all that other stuff. In truth though, we just don’t know. There is little evidence to prove exactly how salt and money are related and if you really want to believe that Romans were paid in salt, by all means.