The taxation system, which is perhaps one of the most important elements of a state’s survival, enables the people to strengthen their state by giving a certain amount of money. In return, the state makes investments for purposes such as making the people live more comfortably, protecting them better and keeping them healthier. In our country, when we say VAT and SCT, we pay taxes on many items. Even from the salaries we receive, a certain amount of tax is deducted from the state.
So, how did this taxation system, which started to bend our backs when combined with the increasing exchange rate prices, worked in the past? Today, we will tell you about the famous “urine tax” brought by the Roman Emperor Vespasianus to improve the weakening country’s economy, and the phrase “money has no smell”, which was engraved in history with this tax.
Emperor who imposed a tax on urine to save Rome: Verpasianus
Vespasianus, who came to power after the Roman Emperor Nero, who is generally known for his greedy glasses and scattering the coins, fell into the hands of m. The great fire that broke out in Rome in s 64, m. The Great Jewish Revolt of p. 66 and m. Like the conflicts in the years of the four emperors, pp. 68 – 69, a wreck was left that deeply affected the economy. Vespasian, who rolled up his sleeves to collect this wreck, generally gave his focus to the repair of the country weakened by the civil war. Vespasianus, who regrouped and disciplined the army, which was extremely demoralized, took steps to consolidate the economy by regulating the administration with the help of the Roman Senate.
It may sound strange to collect the empire by taxing urine, but given the size of the empire and the other reforms that came with it, we can say that Vespasian achieved what he wanted. In any case, the urine tax was first introduced in the reign of Nero, not in the reign of Vespasian, but was abolished afterwards. After Vespasian became emperor, he reintroduces the taxation system to public toilets in Rome. Vespasian, who passed the law, which he named “Vectigal urinae”, and put it into practice, began to collect taxes from those who took urine and feces in public toilets.
“Why would they collect urine and feces from public restrooms?” I can hear you asking. In the Roman period, urine and feces were collected and used in many areas such as wool production, bleaching contaminated togas, and tanning.
“Money has no smell”
Verpasian’s son, Titus, reacted to the urine tax, one of his father’s taxes to strengthen the economy. Upon this reaction, Verpasianus, who takes a coin (money) in his hand, puts this coin near his son’s nose and asks if it smells. After Titus said that the coin does not smell, he makes the following legendary sentence: Atqui ex lotio est. pecunia (But this money comes from urine. Money has no smell.)
This sentence of Verpasianus continues to appear at the entrance of public toilets in some countries even today. Verpasianus, who established an order according to this sentence, which means “the money comes, it does not matter where it comes from”, regrouped the economy of Rome during his 10-year reign. The name of Verpasianus, who eliminated luxury and extravagance among the Roman nobility, is still found in public toilets today as Vespasiennes in France and as Vespasiani in Italy.
In this content, we took a closer look at the urine tax and the historical word that Emperor Verpasianus brought to the Roman Empire. If you want more content about such historical events, we welcome you to the comments.
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