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138  ANNUAL REGISTER for the YEAR 1772.  139

In the treaty between the Romans and the Antiochus, recorded by Polybius and Livy, the weight of the Euboic talent is set at 80 Roman pounds. The talent is not, indeed, called Euboic, in the treaty, which was superluous when its weight was specified; but both historians, in relating the terms offered by Scipio to Antiochus, on which this treaty was founded, call it so †. Therefore in Livy's recital of the treaty, for Artenti probi XII millia Attica talenta, we should read, with Gronovius, Argenti provi Attici XII millia talenta.

In § II. of this discourse, I have endeavored to prove that the Euboïc talent was equal to the Attic; and if so, it contained 6000 Attic drachms; but 80 Roman pounds contained 6720 denarii; therefore, according to this treaty, the weight of he Attic drachm must be to that of the denarius, as 6720 to 6000.

And, even if the Euboïc talent was heavier than the Attic, in the proportion of 72 to 70, the Attic drachm would still be heavier than denarius; for in that case, the Euboic talent should contain 6171 Attic drachms, and the two coins would be in the proportion of 6720 to 6171.

But an anonymous Greek fragment published by Montfaucon ‡, makes 100 Attic drachms equal to 112 denarii; which proportion of the two coins being the fame of 6000 to 6720, feems to have been taken from this treaty; and if it was, that writer certainly thought the talent therein mentioned, equal to Attic.

This proportion, however, does not agree with the weights I have assigned to the two coins; for if the denarius weighed 60 troy grains, and the Attic drachm 66 1/2, 6650 denarii should weigh 6000 Attic drachms, or a talent; but this number of denarii is deficient of 80 Roman pounds, by just 10 ounces. 

Now, this adjustment of the talent to Roman pounds, was probably occafioned by the Greeks at tempting to impose light weights upon the Romans, who finding the talent to exceed 79 pounds, might take what it wanted of 80 in their own favour, to punish the Greeks for their unfair dealing. Or, the standard the Romans pitched upon might be somewhat over-weight; and the coin of Lyfimachus above-mentioned, makes this conjecture not improbable; for in the possession of Mr. Duane weighs 537,6 troy grains, which divided by 8 gives a drachm of 67,2, exactly the weight required by this treaty, supposing the denarius to weigh 60 grains. But the gold coins of Phillip and Alexander are so perfect, and so correctly sized, that their authority is indisputable; and if the mean drachm of 66 1/2 grains derived from them were somewhat too small, it cannot be increased by above a quarter of a grain. 

Therefore, I suppose the great weight given to the talent by this treaty, mat arise, partly from too heavy a standard, and partly from the Romans taking the turn of the scale in their own favour.

After the Romans became masters 

* Polybius, Excerpt. Leg. § 35. Livy, L. XXXVIII. c. 38.
† Polyb. Exc. Leg. § 24. Livy, L. XXXVII. c. 45.
‡ Analecta Græca, p. 393. Paris, 1688. in Quarto.

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of Greece and Asia, the Athenians might find it their interest to lower their drachm to the weight of the denarius, long before they were reduced into the form of a Roman Province, by Vespasian  When they did this, and whether they did it gradually, as may seen probable from some tetradrachms now remaining, is uncertain; but that they did so, sooner or later, cannot be doubted.

Pliny and Scribonius Largus expressly say, the Attic drachm was equal in weight to the denarius*: and A. Gellius, who, having resided long at Athens, could not be ignorant of the value of the current money of the city, says 10000 drachms were in Roman money, so many denarii †.  And the Attic gold coin above-mentioned, in the British Museum, is a proof of their having reduced their money to the Roman standard. 

These are the most authentic testimonies that the two coins ever were equal; for though all the Greek writers of Roman affairs, call the denarius, drachma, it is no proof of their equality; for one being the current coin of Rome, as the other was of Athens, and not very unequal in value, a Greek might consider the denarius, as the drachma of Rome, and translate it by that word, which was familiar to his countryman; as we call the French Ecu, or the Roman Scudo, a crown; which hath no more affinity to the French or Italian names, either in sound or signification, than drachma hath to denarius.
Curious Extracts from the Lives of Lelande, Hearne, and Wood; lately published at the Clarendon Prefs, Oxford.

AT all these fires every night, which began to be made a little after five of the clock, the senior Under-Graduats would bring into the hall the juniors, or Freshmen, between that time and fix of the clock, and there make them sit downe on a some in the middle of the hall, the joyning to the declaiming desk; which done, every one in order was to speak some pretty apothegme, or make a jest or bull, or speak some eloquent nonsense, to make the company laugh: but if any of the Freshmen came off dull, or not cleverly, some of the forwarded or pragmatical seniors would tuck them, that is, set the nail of their thumb to their chin, just under their lipp, and by the help of their other singers under the chin, they would give him a mark, which sometimes would produce blood.  On Candlemas-day, or before (according as Shrove Tuesday sell out) every Freshman had warning given him to provide his speech, to be spoken in the public hall before the Under-Graduates and servants on Shrove-Tuesday night that followed, being alwaies the time fo the observation of that ceremony.  According to the said summons, A.  Wood provided a speech as the other Freshmen did.

Shrove-Tuesday, Feb. 15, the fire being made in the common hall before five of the clock at night, the 

* Pliny, Nat. Hist. at the end of L. XXI. Scr. Largus. in his Preface.
† A. Gellius, L. I. c. & Hoc facit nummi nostratis Denariûm decem millia.

fellowes

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