Throughout history, the search for salt has played and important role in society. Where it was scare, salt traded ounce for ounce with gold. Romes major highway wall called the via salaria, that is the salt road. Along the road, Roman soliers transported salt crystal from the salts flats at Ostia up the Tiber river. In return, the recevied a salariaum or salary, which was litterally money paid to sloiders to buy salt. The old saying " worth their salt". Which meant to be valuable derives from the custom of payment during the Empire.

If a man is " Worth his salt". he is -