libella

lībella, ae, f. dim. [libra].

• An as, a small silver coin, the tenth part of a denarius: nummi denarii decuma libella, quod libram pondo aeris valebat, et erat ex argento parva, Varr. L. L. 5, § 174 Müll.: librales, unde etiam nunc libella dicitur et dupondius, appendebantur asses, Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 42; Cato R. R. 15, 1: sunt enim in sestertio libellae decem, singulae viginti, teruncii quadraginta, Volus. Maec. 66.—
• • B In gen.
  • • 1 Prov. for a very small sum of money, as with us a farthing, groat, cent: una libella liber possum fieri, Plaut. Cas. 2, 5, 8 (316); cf. id. Capt. 5, 1, 27 (948): tibi libellam argenti numquam credam, id. Ps. 2, 2, 34 (627): quoi neque libellai spes sit usquam gentium, id. ib. 1, 1, 96 (98): quom libella nusquamst, nisi, etc., id. ib. 4, 7, 47 (1149): quis Volcatio unam libellam dedisset? Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 10, § 26.—Hence, ad libellam, i. q. ad assem, to a farthing, to a cent, exactly, Cic. Rosc. Com. 4, 11.—
    • 2 In inheritances: ex libella, i. q. ex asse, sole heir: Curius fecit palam te ex libella, me ex teruncio, Cic. Att. 7, 2, 3.—
• II An instrument for detecting any variation from a perfectly horizontal surface, a level, water-level, plummetline: libella aliqua si ex parti claudicat hilum, Lucr. 4, 515: collocare et expolire aliquid ad regulam et libellam, Vitr. 1, 6, 6; cf. Plin. 36, 25, 63, § 188: structuram (parietis) ad normam et libellam fieri, et ad perpendiculum respondere oportet, id. 36, 22, 51, § 172: locus qui est ad libellam aequus, quite, perfectly level, Varr. R. R. 1, 6 fin.

lībella, ae, f. (Demin. v. libra), I) im Münz- und Rechnungswesen: 1) eine röm.-kampan. Silbermünze = ¹/₁₀ denarius, im Werte = 1 As, Cato r. r. 15, 1. Varro LL. 5, 174. – übtr., für eine beliebig kleine Münze, wie unser Pfennig, Heller, Plaut. u. Cic.: tibi libellam argenti numquam credam, Plaut.: dah. HSIɔɔɔ ad libellam sibi deberi, auf den Pfennig (Heller), ganz genau, Cic. Rosc. com. 11. – 2) in der Silberrechnung = dem zehnten Teile eines sestertius, dh. das Zehntel, fecit te (heredem) ex libella, me ex teruncio, hat dich zum Erben eines Zehntels eingesetzt, doch so, daß du mir ein Vierteil abgibst, Cic. ad Att. 7, 2, 3. – II) die Bleiwage, Setzwage, Wasserwage, Schrotwage, Lucr. 4, 513. Vitr. 1, 6, 6 u. 3, 4, 5. Plin. 36, 172 u. 188: vollst. libella fabrilis, Colum. 3, 13, 12. Veget. mil. 3, 20. p. 107, 22 L.²: dah. locus, qui est ad libellam aequus, völlig wagerecht, Varro r. r. 1, 6, 6.

1 libella [CL] , half a pound (in weight). ~a, parva libra Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 326; 14‥ ~a est dimidium libre, sembella est medium ~e Eng. Weights 6.

2 libella [cf. CL libellus] 1 charter, deed. 789 ut ‥ terras atque ~as cum semetipso redderet CS 256; 804 ut liber essem terram meam atque ~as dare quocunque volui CS 313. 2 defamatory publication, libel. cedula ‥ cum sit ~a famosa Uhtred Contra querelas 332 (v. fama 3a).

lībella, (13) æ, f. (libra), ¶ 1 a) as [petite pièce de monnaie dʼargent] : Varro L. 5, 174 ; Plin. 33, 42 ; b) = petite somme dʼargent : Pl. Capt. 944 ; Ps. 96 ; Cic. Com. 11 ; Verr. 2, 2, 26 || ex libella = ex asse Cic. Att. 7, 2, 3, v. as ¶ 2 niveau, niveau dʼeau : Lucr. 4, 515 ; Plin. 36, 188.

libella , ae. f.
天平。準縄。四錢。\*Eum ex libella haeredem facere 以家産全遗舆彼。

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lībella ae, f dim.

• libra, an as, the tenth of a denarius: ecquis Volcatio unam libellam dedisset?a single cent: ad libellam, to a farthing: fecit te (heredem) ex libellā, me ex teruncio, i. e. sole heir, on condition of giving me one fourth.

LIBELLA

LIBELLA

1. The diminutive form of libra, a Roman pound, and naturally applied not to the heavy pound of copper, but its equivalent in silver. Varro writes as follows (L. L. 5.174) of the libella: Nummi denarii decuma libella, quod libram pondo as valebat, et erat ex argento parva. This phrase has been much discussed, and has misled many metrologists, but the latest researches (Hultsch, Metrologie, ed. 2, p. 275) seem to show that Varro's words contain two errors and one truth. He is wrong in supposing that the denarius was ever equal in value to ten heavy or libral asses; in fact it was equivalent to four (As, p. 205): and he is wrong in supposing that the libella was ever issued as an actual coin; it was in fact a mere money of account, like the guinea among ourselves. But he is probably right in his assertion that originally the libella was the tenth of a denarius, and so equal to seven grains of silver, or one as of the triental reduction [As, Vol. I., p. 205]. Later it was reckoned as the tenth of the sestertius, and so as equivalent only to 175 grains of silver. The half of the libella was the sembella (Varro, 5.174), and its quarter the teruncius. The relation (one-tenth), of the libella to the sestertius or denarius gave rise to the phrase heres ex libella. (Cic. ad Att. 7.2, 3), applied to those who inherited the tenth of an estate; while he who inherited the fortieth part was called heres ex teruncio (ib.). [P.G]

2. (Also, but less frequently libra.) A carpenter's level, called by the Greeks διαβήτης, and also in poets (from the pendant tongue) σταφυλή (Horn. II. 2.765, where Schol. σταφυλὴ γὰρ ὁ τεκτονικὸς διαβήτης): in Colum. 3.13, 12, libella fabrilis, --cf. Plin. Nat.36.172; Vitr. 3.5, 2: in Lucret. 4.515 (where other instruments also are mentioned), libella aliqua si ex parti claudicat hilum, the idea is clearly of the legs not being set truly. In Caesar (B.C. 3.40) the form libra is used, which seems to be the regular form when it is applied to water-level, so that infra libram maris means below the sea-level. (Blümner, Technologie, &c. 2. p. 236.)

[G.E.M]

Libella

(1) The diminutive of libra, the Roman pound, and used of the sum in silver, which expresses the value of the pound of copper. (See As.) It was, as a monetary term, originally equal to one-tenth of a denarius and later one-tenth of a sestertius. It was never coined, however, but was a mere “money of account,” like the guinea in England to-day. The half of a libella was called sembella (Varr. v. 174).

(2) (διαβήτης, σταφυλή). A carpenter's level (libella fabrilis). It is represented in the illustration under the article circinus (p. 350), in the left-hand lower corner, where it is partly inverted.