drachma

drachma (old form, drachŭma, like Alcumena, Aesculapius, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 23 (424); Ter. Heaut. 601), ae (gen plur. drachmūm, Varr. L. L. 9, § 85 Müll.; usually drachmarum, Ter. Heaut. 601; Cic. Fl. 19, 43), f., = δραχμή.

• I A small Greek coin, a drachma or drachm, of about the same value as the Roman denarius, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 52; Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 84 (86) sq.; Ter. And. 451; Cic. Fam. 2, 17; id. Fl. 15, 34; Hor. S. 2, 7, 43 et saep.—
• II As a weight, the eighth part of an uncia, the half of a sicilicus, about the same as our drachm, Plin. 21, 34, 109, § 185; Rhem. Fann. de Pond. 17 sq.

drachma, ae, f. (δραχμή), die Drachme, I) eine griechische Münze ungefähr vom Werte eines röm. denarius, Komik., Cic. u.a. – II) ein Gewicht, ¹/₈ uncia = ¹/₉₆ as (etwa 3¹/₂ g), Plin. u.a. – ➳ Gedehnte (bei den Komik. stets übliche) Form drachuma, zB. Enn. fr. scen. 322 u. 323. Plaut. merc. 777; trin. 425. Ter. Andr. 451 u. heaut. 601. – Genet. Plur. gew. drachmarum od. drachumarum; doch auch drachmûm, Cic. ep. 2, 17, 4. – Andere (viell. spätere) Schreibung dragma, s. Hultsch Metrol. scriptt. ind. Lat. in v. dragma (p. 240) u. Fritzsche Hor. sat. 2, 7, 43.

drachma [CL < δραχμή (?) infl. by δράγμα] 1 drachma, dirhem, or bezant (coin); b (w. ref to Luke xv 8–9); c (w. ref. to Neh. vii 70–2). d silver penny, sterling. e (?) noble or mark. dedragma ij dragmae sunt Gl. Leid. 33. 5; 10‥ (v. didrachma); [obsessi in Hierusalem] de quisquiliis collectis parvissimum pondus dragmis quattuor distrahebant J. Sal. Pol. 423D; dragma vel aureus, †uma [l. mna], besantius atque talentum; / sed dragmam proprie speciem dic ponderis esse Garl. Syn. 291–2. 1583A (v. 2a infra); in ea [Alexandria] ‥ perpera, que non est purum aurum, xij [Venetos grossos valet] et dragma j et duo carub S. Sim. Itin. 38; besaunt, dragma PP.  b dragmam perditam quaesitura Aldh. VirgP 7; ut ‥ tam diu ‥ querant quousque dragmam perditam reperiant Ad. Scot Serm. 210C; supra caput iconis scribitur hic titulus: ‘genus humanum, quod est ~a decima’ Id. TT 703C; ut decima ~a perdita inventa novem ~is jungeretur Hales Sent. IV 3; dragma letaris decima relucente, / que te querente perdita repperitur J. Howd. Cant. 323.  c 1459 pro vobis, Christianissime princeps, qui dragmas auri et argenti in nostram dudum intulistis Jerusalem, in non parvam ditacionem exigui templi nostri Reg. Whet. I 326.  d interim [temp. S. regis] ‥ numisma et es et commercii formam quisque apud se transformavit, inminuit et adulteravit ‥ preter dragmam de Ely, quod [sic] integrum servabatur ex argento electo Lib. Eli. III 73 (cf. ib. II 111: dolo nummulariorum dragma fraudata).  e 1565 quicunque abesse illum professor deprehenderit, eidem ~ae mulctam statim pendito StatOx 391; dependat dragman [sic] Ib. 414 (v. 2 dependere 1). 2 drachm (weight), one eighth of one twelfth of a libra, one ninety-sixth. b (math.) unit. dragma pondus est denarii argentei quod pensat siliquas xviij Gl. Leid. 32. I; dragma Thurkill Abac. 61v (v. deunx); pulvis magnetis in quantitate duorum dragmatum valet contra ydropisim Bart. Angl. XVI 61; dragma ponderabit ij denarios et obolum, hoc est iiijxx grana frumenti Cust. Cant. 33; Garl. Syn. 292 (v. 1a supra); Ib. 295–6 (v. 2 drama); 1357 in ij dragmis diagridii, iiijd. Ac. Obed. Abingd. 14; trocisscus [pondus] unius dragme. dragma habet pondus trium scrupulorum‥. [Vers.] ‘in dragmam scrupulus surgit ter multiplicatus’ Alph. 188; drame, qwyte, drama, dragma PP; hec dragma est octava pars uncie WW.  b substantia et 10 radices 39 coequantur dragmatibus Rob. Angl. (I) Alg. 70.

drachma, (13) æ, f. (δραχμή), drachme [unité de poids chez les Athéniens, = environ 3,5 g]: Plin. 21, 185 || drachme [monnaie athénienne, = un denier romain] : Cic. Fam. 2, 17, 4 ; Hor. S. 2, 7, 43.

➳ forme arch. drachuma Pl. Trin. 425 ; Merc. 777 ; Ter. Andr. 451 || gén. pl. drachmum Varro L. 9, 85 ; Cic. Fam. 2, 17, 4 ; drachmarum Cic. Fl. 43.

drachma , ae. f.
四十錢。銀錢名。

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drachma or dragma (old drachuma), ae, f

• , δραχμή, a drachma, drachm (a Greek coin, worth $0.19 or 9 1/2d.), T., C., H.

DRACHMA

DRACHMA(δραχμή), the name of a weight and of a denomination of coin among the Greeks. As weight and as coin it was the hundredth part of the mina, and was divided into six lesser units called ὀβολοί. [See PONDERAad init. ] The ancients (Etym. Mag. s. v. ὀβελίσκος: Pollux, 9.77) connected the word with δράσσομαι, I grasp, and δράγμα, a handful, and supposed that a drachm was originally the value in silver of a handful of six ὀβολοι, or wedge-shaped pieces of metal, which circulated as money. It is, however, very doubtful if this derivation is not a mere fancy: it is far more probable that δραχμή, like δαρεικός, is connected with the Persian word darag, a part, since the weight of the drachm seems to be derived by division of the mina, rather than the weight of the mina to be produced by multiplication of the drachm.

The ordinary denominations of Greek coins were: for gold, the didrachm (double drachm), drachm, hemi-drachm, and smaller divisions ; for silver, the same, with the addition of the tetradrachm, and occasionally of the decadrachm. The weight of the drachm varied according to the standard to which it belonged [see tables under PONDERA; the heaviest drachm was the Aeginetan of 96 grains, worth in silver rather more than a shilling of our money: it was called at Athens παχεῖα δραχμή (Pollux, 9.76). The Athenian drachm weighed but 67.5 grains, and the Corinthian only 45 grains, value about sixpence. The sign for drachm in Attic inscriptions is [drachm1]. As the Romans reckoned in sesterces, so the Greeks generally reckoned by drachmae; and when a sum is mentioned in the Attic writers, without any specification of the unit, drachmae are usually meant.

[P.G]

Drachma

(δραχμή). The name of a weight and of a denomination of coin among the Greeks. As weight and as coin it was the hundredth part of the mina, and was divided into six lesser units called ὀβολοί. The ancients (Etym. Mag. s. v. ὀβελίσκος) connected the word with δράσσομαι, “I grasp,” and δράγμα, “a handful,” and supposed that a drachm was originally the value in silver of a handful of six ὀβολοί, or wedge-shaped pieces of metal, which circulated as money. It is, however, very doubtful if this derivation is not a mere fancy; it is far more probable that δραχμή, like δαρεικός, is connected with the Persian word darag, “a part,” since the weight of the drachma seems to be derived by division of the mina, rather than the weight of the mina to be produced by multiplication of the drachma.

The ordinary denominations of Greek coins were: for gold, the didrachma (double drachma), drachma, hemi-drachma, and smaller divisions; for silver, the same, with the addition of the tetra-drachma, and occasionally of the decadrachma. The weight of the drachma varied according to the standard to which it belonged; the heaviest drachma was the Aeginetan of 96 grains, worth in silver rather more than twenty-five cents of our money; it was called at Athens παχεῖα δραχμή (Pollux, ix. 76). The Athenian drachma weighed but 67.5 grains, and the Corinthian only 45 grains, value about twelve cents. The sign for drachma in Attic inscriptions is . As the Romans reckoned in sesterces, so the Greeks generally reckoned by drachmae; and when a sum is mentioned in the Attic writers, without any specification of the unit, drachmae are usually meant. See numismatics; pondera.