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At 1200 sest. per year, a 3M sest. villa would be 2500 years of labor.

A $7M villa, on the other hand, would be only ~230 years of labor for a US solider paid $30k a year.

A pound of pork at Safeway today is ~3/lb. 100 pounds would be $300, which would be quite a meager yearly pay.

My main takeaway is that pork has likely gotten much cheaper, but not seaside villas.

> A $7M villa, on the other hand, would be only ~230 years of labor for a US solider paid $30k a year.

Your parent comment says that, adjusted to modern villa prices, Diocles' entire wealth -- 35 million sestercii, enough to buy 12 standard seaside villas -- would amount to $7M. This would put the price of one villa at only $600,000, or 20 years' labor at $30k / year.

Oh! Indeed I misread. Things do align better that way.

I'm with you on this analysis. CAFO or factory farms have made meat much cheaper; likewise with globalized supply chain. Abundant Florida waterfront real estate – and low cost of air travel – has contributed to a comparably increase in supply of seaside villa substitutes.

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