Roman Emporers in Cumbria
Accountancy jobs in Cumbria, be they audit jobs or traditional finance jobs have always held the same basic truths, management of the local economy and compliance with the rules. At this time of course less for those filling the vacancies but for the emperors or for local commanders.
The lowest piece of currency at this time was a coin made of bronze named an as. A sestertius, again bronze, was four fold the value of an as. Silver coins such as the famous denarious was then to the value of four times the sestertius. The final coin was an Aureus which had a fixed value of 25 denarii.
When Hadrian’s wall was built the average Roman soldier would receive roughly 250 denarii a year and there would be credit controllers and payroll staff in each garrison town, in turn the money spent on food, local produce and in the markets would be often taken to what we would know as chartered accountants who would balance to books and conduct financial audits on local businesses. Local businesses themselves would more than likely have internal audit jobs and thus internal audit vacancies from time to time as they needed to recruit.
Public relations in Cumbria were a very important matter when trying to fill accountancy and audit jobs in Carlisle, penrith or any other area of the lake district or the borders. The art of demonstrating wealth was very important to the roman’s to attract the best staff and run an efficient business or household. This is demonstrated by the fact that the emperors’ not only made coins with their faces on but also to show off their victories and achievements. You would not want to get Hadrian’s internal audit wrong!
Lending money lending was a significant part of the economy, it suffered from a certain classism though – being seen as unsuitable to those of certain pedigree.
As today with the likes of the Furness and Cumberland building societies money was needed for home purchases, animals, agriculture and other goods and services. In roman times these finance and accountancy vacancies would be available at the “forum” where people would meet to barter and to lend money.
Such forums and therefore such vacancies could be available at the forums in Carlisle, Keswick or in Barrow-In-Furness, in fact in every roman town in Cumbria!
There was of course also the tradition then of burying your money if you did not trust the successful candidate!