text: who invented the pay toilet?   the earliest public toilets were set up in knossos of the minoan civilization in the crete island, now part of greece. however, the earliest pay toilets were erected in ancient rome in 74 ad during the rule of vespasian, after a civil war in rome affected greatly the roman finance. his initiative was derided by his adversaries, but his reply to these objections is now famous: "pecunia non olet" ("money does not smell").