The ones who got land would go on to work that land since it was often their only source of income. Maybe it was more comfortable than being in the army, but it wasn’t the sort of retirement people enjoy these days.
Did their children inherit it? If so, that may have been an important lever for leaving your children better off than you were.
By the time they reach end of their suty, they had enough money to buy slave od even two, they didnt work on this land on their own - this depends on specific epoch though