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Question: Were all the army generals of ancient rome very wealthy!?
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Only the elite and wealthy were allowed to command armies!. Especially in the Republic, when armies were privately raised and paid for, only the wealthy could afford it!. Even after professional armies were instituted by Marius this remained the case!. Social customs as well as economic factors ensured that the poor couldn't be promoted terribly far!. It was possible for plebeians (Rome's poor class) to be promoted to junior officerships, and even in some cases into the class of equites!. Membership in the patrician class was hereditary, and only on a handful of special occasions was someone brought up into this class!.

Some of Rome's more famous generals were easily among the wealthiest men ever!. Marcus Licinius Crassus might have been the richest man ever (accounting for inflation and the like)!. Apart from founding the first professional fire fighting team, he privately raised several armies, each composed of several legions!. This would be like Bill Gates paying for the entire US military!. According to Forbes list of wealthy historical figures, his net worth would be upwards of $169!.8 billion!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

During the republican age only the higher political charges, and in fully harmony with the senate, had the power to command an army!. In order to cover such a charges it was necessary to spent a lot of money for the election campaign: this was a sum so high that not everyone could afford it, furthermore the charges were not remunerated, and the higher ones were holdable only after having held the minor ones (so other money for other election campaigns and without the certainty to being elected)!. And all this without counting other expenses more or less "clean"!.
During the imperial age the problem is the same, with the difference that it's no more needing to spent in election campaign (the people votes no more), but it's necessary to catch the emperor's favor and have many friends in the senate or at the imperial court!. The political career had many steps, but, in order to start it, it was required the membership to the aristocracy: there weren't poor nobles, if such a case should happened the emperor usually gave the money necessary for a wealthy life (or expelled the person from aristocracy if it deserved it)!.
However in all times these persons were never poor, a part some rare and half-mythic cases, in really early times, like Cincinnatus!. But it's also true that, in all times, the "technical" figures and the expert old officers had the possibility to help their superiors in taking important decisions, managing the camp or the army itself!. They ever had at the most the middle-charge of centurion (with all its grades until the "centurion primipilus"), because the control of an army was ever too delicate for being assigned directly to a non-political-controlled figure, but their influence in taking decisions could have been relevant in some cases!. Sometimes they were, at the end of their career, admitted in the aristocracy (during the imperial age), or however they were rich enough to cover some local charges!.
Perhaps the best example of such a career is given by emperor Maximinus the Thrace, that, starting as simple recruit, made a quick career (he was a giant with an incredible strength) through all the ranks until he became usurper and finally emperor!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I'd have to say they were well off!. They were fed better than the rest of Romes population!. Www@QuestionHome@Com