lmao, the joke was more about infodumping about one's obscure interests, but as for urine taxation:
Explanation: The Roman Emperor Vespasian decided he needed more income, but didn’t feel raising the proportions of existing taxes was appropriate. So he instituted a new tax - on urine. Urine was used in bleaching, cleaning, and tanning (it’s the ammonia), so it was actually a valuable commodity. Terracotta amphorae were placed around the city of Rome where citizens could relieve themselves like CIVILIZED people, and Vespasian implemented a tax on those who collected those pisspots.
Vespasian’s son, Titus, expressed disgust at the tax, but Vespasian is said to have waved a gold coin under his nose, and told him that the coin came from urine, yet it didn’t smell. From which we get the modern Latin phrase ‘Pecunia non olet’ - ‘Money doesn’t smell’
Also, for this reason, some Romance languages still use words derived from Vespasian’s name for urinals.
12 Comments
ummthatguy@lemmy.world · 99 pts · 168d
Ok. You give context to every other history post, but not this one?!
PugJesus@piefed.social · 132 pts · 168d
lmao, the joke was more about infodumping about one's obscure interests, but as for urine taxation:
Explanation: The Roman Emperor Vespasian decided he needed more income, but didn’t feel raising the proportions of existing taxes was appropriate. So he instituted a new tax - on urine. Urine was used in bleaching, cleaning, and tanning (it’s the ammonia), so it was actually a valuable commodity. Terracotta amphorae were placed around the city of Rome where citizens could relieve themselves like CIVILIZED people, and Vespasian implemented a tax on those who collected those pisspots.
Vespasian’s son, Titus, expressed disgust at the tax, but Vespasian is said to have waved a gold coin under his nose, and told him that the coin came from urine, yet it didn’t smell. From which we get the modern Latin phrase ‘Pecunia non olet’ - ‘Money doesn’t smell’
Also, for this reason, some Romance languages still use words derived from Vespasian’s name for urinals.
ummthatguy@lemmy.world · 76 pts · 168d
That's the stuff. Much appreciated.
argarath@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 167d
This is amazing, thank you!!
Gonzako@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 167d
Váter?
PugJesus@piefed.social · 2 pts · 167d
Vespasiano
Zachariah@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 168d
dodged a bullet, honestly
sad_detective_man@sopuli.xyz · 5 pts · 168d
More like fulfilled an important task.
Zachariah@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 168d
Yes, the OP did both
NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone · 16 pts · 168d
Omg it’s mad how many people don’t even know about this.
lemmyng@piefed.ca · 11 pts · 168d
But does she know that they also used to swish urine to whiten their teeth?
Dumnorix@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 167d
Or that several Roman sources mention that the Celtiberians washed their hair with their urine?