Pecunia non olet

Pecunia non olet ( "money does not stink " ) is a Latin phrase.

The phrase goes back to the Roman emperor Vespasian. In ancient Rome, urine was, in particular " gefaulter " forms from which alkaline ammonia, used as a means for the leather tanning and laundry. So amphora latrines were set up to collect the urine, which was required by the tanners and scrubbers in Rome on busy streets.

To fill the empty state coffers, raised Emperor Vespasian on these public toilets a special Latrinensteuer. Suetonius recorded that Vespasian tax justified before his son Titus, as he had kept him money from the first revenue under his nose and asked if the smell bothered him ( sciscitans num odore offenderetur ). When he said no, Vespasian had said: Atqui e lotio est ( " And yet it is from the urine "). Over time it became a saying Pecunia non olet, "money does not stink ".

The phrase has survived to this day to justify the possession or acquisition of money from unclean sources of income. The public toilets in Paris hot today Vespasienne. In Italy, the public toilets Vespasiani be called.

In Germany the " Pecunia olet -non- affair " in Hildesheim 2002 attracted nationwide attention.

2005 brought Goldsieber out an eponymous parlor game, but that confuses the intended here amphorae with water-bearing latrines, where naturally no urine could be collected.

Swell

• Suetonius: collection of biographies of Emperor Caesar to Domitian. Numerous issues, for example, with German translation in: Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus: All received works. Magnus, Essen 2004, ISBN 3-88400-071-3 (English translation )