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136 ANNUAL REGISTER
more than 1000 sesterces, or one sestertium.
They called a million of sesterces decies nummûm, or decies sesteriûm, for decies centena millia nummorum, or sestertiorum (in the masculine gender) omitting centies for the reason above-mentioned; or simply decies, omitting centena millia sestertiûm, or centies sestertium;; and with the numeral adverbs, decies, vicies, centies, millies, and the like, either centena millia, or centies, was always understood.
These were their most usual forms of expression, though for bina, dena, vicena sestertia, they frequently said bina, dena, vicena millia nummûm*; and Cicero, in the passage quoted in the margin, hath used mille sestertia, for decies sestertium. But Gronovius says, that expression is not to be found elsewhere, and supposes it to be a false reading. If the Consular Denarius contained 60 Troy grains of fine silver, it was worth somewhat more than eightpence farthing and a half sterling; and the As, of sixteen to the denarius, a little more than a half-peny.
To reduce the ancient sesterces of 2 1/2 [[?]], when the denarius passed for 16, to pounds sterling, multiply the given number by 5454, and cut off six figures on the right hand for decimals.
To reduce nummi sestertii, or quarters of the denarius, to pounds sterling; if the given sum be consular money, multiply by 8727, and cut off six figures on the right hand for decimals; but for imperial money, diminish the said product by one eighth of itself.
For example, Cicero says, Verres had received vicies, ducenta triginta quinque milla, quadringentos decem & septem nummos, or 2.235.417 sesterces: this being consular money, multiply by 8727, and cutting off six figures from the product, L.19508,484159, or 19508l. 9s. 8d. will be their value in English money. Again, Suetonius relates, that when Vespasian came to the empire, he found the treasury so exhausted, that he declared quadringenties millies, or 40.000.000.000 nummi, were wanted to support the government†. This was imperial money, which, multiplied by 8727, and cutting off six figures from the product, gives - 349.080.000 One 8th of which, 43.635.000 being subtracted, leaves - }305.445.000 Pds. Sterl.
But Budæus supposes, that for quadringenties millies, we should read quadragies millies, which reduces it to L. 30.544.500, and is a much more probable sum.
If the millianrenses of 60 in the pound were fine silver, and weighed 84 Troy grains, they were worth 46,918918... farthings and decimals, or almost 11 pence 3 farthings sterling; and the solidus passing for 12 of them, was worth a little more than 11s. 8d. 3/4.
The pound of gold was worth 864 of these miliarenses, amount-
*Suetonius in Julio, c. 38. Cicero in Verrem, L. I. § 14.
†Suetonius, in Vespsiano, c. 16.
ing
For the YEAR 1772. 137
ing to 40537,94 farthings and decimals, which, divided by 1000, give 40,538, or above 10 pence and half a farthing for the value of Constantine's miliarensis in English money.
The Constantinopolitans kpet their accounts in solidi, which are reduced to pounds sterling, by multiplying the given number by 58648, and cutting off five figures on the right hand for decimals.
CONCLUSION.
The Greeks had no money at the time of the Trojan war; for Homer represents them as trafficking by barter*, and Priam (an Asiatic) weighs out the ten talents of gold, which he takes to ransom his son's body of Achilles†.
This ponderal talent was very small, appears from Homer's description of the games at the funeral of Patroclus, where two talents of gold are proposed as an inferior prize to a mare with foal of a mule. Whence I conclude it was the same that the dorian colonies carried to Sicily and Calabria; for Pollux tells us, from Aristotle, that the ancient talent of the Greeks in Sicily contained 24 nummi, each of which weighing an obole and a half, the talent must have weighed six Attic drachms, or three darics; and Pollux elsewhere mentions such a talent of gold. But the daric weighed very little more than our guinea; and if 2 talents weighed about 6 guineas, we may reckon the mare with foal worth 12; which was no improbable price, since we learn from a passage in the Clouds of Aristophanes, that, in his time, a running horse cost 12 minas, or above 46 pounds sterling.
Therefore, this seems to have been the ancient Greek talent, before the art of stamping money had introduced the greater talents from Asia and Egypt.
Herodotus tells us, the Lydians were reputed to be the first that coined gold and silver money‡; and the talent, which the Greeks called Euboïc, certainly came from Asia. Therefore, the Greeks learned the use of money from Asiatics.
The Romans took their weights and their money, either from the Dorians of Calabria, or from Sicily; for their libra, uncia, and nummus, were all Doric words, their denarius was the Sicilian [[?]]; and Pollux tells us, from Aristole, that the Sicilian nummus was a quarter of their denarius by the same name.
The weights I have produced of the Greek and Roman coins, so fully prove the ancient Attic drachm to have been heavier than the denarius, that it may seem superfluous to quote any authorities in support of their evidence: nor should I do it here, but in order, at the same time, to answer an objection which may be made to the weight I have assigned to the Attic drachm.
* Iliad H. ver. 472. † Iliad Ω. ver. 232.
‡ Herodot. L.I. § 94.
§ See Pollux, L.IX. c. 6. § 80. 81. 87. & L. IV. c. 24. § 175
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