sestertius

sestertĭus, a, um, num. adj. [contr. from semis-tertius], two and a half; only in the phrases sestertius nummus and milia sestertia; v. I. A. and I. B. 1. infra.— Mostly as subst.

• I sestertĭus (written also with the characters HS.; v. B. 4. infra), ii, m. (sc. nummus); also in full: sestertius nummus; gen. plur. sestertiūm; rarely sestertiorum or sestertiūm nummūm, a sesterce, a small silver coin, originally equal to two and a half asses, or one fourth of a denarius. When the as was reduced in weight, during the Punic wars, the denarius was made equal to sixteen asses, and the sestertius continued to be one fourth of the denarius. Its value, up to the time of Augustus, was twopence and half a farthing sterling, or four and one tenth cents; afterwards about one eighth less. The sestertius was the ordinary coin of the Romans, by which the largest sums were reckoned. The sestertium (1000 sestertii) was equal (up to the time of Augustus, afterwards about one eighth less) to ☞8 17s. 1d. sterling, or $42.94 in United States coin (v. Zumpt, Gram. § 842; Dict. of Ant. s. v. as, sestertius).
• • A In gen.: sestertius, quod duobus semis additur (dupondius enim et semis antiquus sestertius est) et veteris consuetudinis, ut retro aere dicerent, ita ut semis tertius, quartus semis pronunciarent, ab semis tertius sestertius dicitur, Varr. L. L. 5, § 173 Müll.: nostri quartam denarii partem, quod efficiebatur ex duobus assibus et tertio semisse, sestertium nominaverunt, Vitr. 3, 1 med.; Cic. Div. in Caecil. 10, 30: taxatio in libras sestertii singuli et in penuriā bini, Plin. 18, 13, 34, § 130.—Freq. joined with nummus: mille nongentos quinquaginta sestertios nummos, Col. 3, 3, 9.—Gen. plur. sestertiūm: quid verum sit, intellego; sed alias ita loquor, ut concessum est, ut hoc vel pro deum dico vel pro deorum, alias, ut necesse est, cum triumvirum non virorum, cum sestertiūm nummūm non nummorum, quod in his consuetudo varia non est, Cic. Or. 46, 56: sestertiūm sexagena milia nummūm, Varr. R. R. 3, 6, 1; cited ap. Plin. 10, 20, 23, § 45.—Rarely, sestertiorum: duo milia sestertiorum, Col. 3, 3, 13.—
  • B In partic.
  • • 1 As adj. in neutr. plur., with milia (in Varr. and Col.): ut asinus venierit sestertiis milibus LX. (= sexaginta milibus sestertium), Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 14: grex centenarius facile quadragena milia sestertia ut reddat, id. ib. 3, 6, 6: hos numquam minus dena milia sestertia ex melle recipere, id. ib. 3, 6, 11: Hirrius ex aedificiis duodena milia sestertia capiebat, id. ib. 3, 17, 3: sestertiis octo milibus, Col. 3, 3, 8; 3, 3, 9; 3, 3, 10.—
    • 2 To express more than two complete thousands sestertia is used as plurale tantum, with distrib. numerals (rare before the Aug. per.): si qui vilicus ex eo fundo, qui sestertia dena meritasset ... domino XX. milia nummūm pro X. miserit (= decem milia sestertiūm), Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 50, § 119: candidati apud eum HS. quingena deposuerunt (= quindecim milia sestertiūm), id. Att. 4, 15, 7: capit ille ex suis praediis sexcena sestertia, ego centena ex meis, id. Par. 6, 3, 49: bis dena super sestertia nummum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 33: Tiberius Hortalo se respondisse ait, daturum liberis ejus ducena sestertia singulis, Tac. A. 2, 38: princeps capiendis pecuniis posuit modum usque ad dena sestertia, id. ib. 11, 7.—Rarely with card. numerals: sestertia centum, Sall. C. 30, 6: septem donat sestertia, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 80: centum sestertia, Mart. 6, 20, 1: sex sestertia, id. 6, 30, 1; cf.: ne cui jus esset nisi qui ... HS. CCCC. census fuisset, Plin. 33, 2, 8, § 32.—
    • 3 Millions of sesterces were expressed in three ways:
    • • a By the words centena (or centum) milia sestertiūm, preceded by a numeral adverb (rare): miliens centena milia sestertium, a hundred millions, etc., Plin. 12, 18, 41, § 84.—
      • b With ellips. of the words centena milia, the gen. plur. sestertiūm being preceded by the numeral adv. (rare; once in Cic.): HS. (i. e. sestertium) quater decies P. Tadio numerata Athenis ... planum faciam (i.e. sestertiūm quater decies centena milia, = 1,400,000 sesterces), Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 39, § 100 (where B. and K. after Orell. read. ex conj., sestertium; v. Kühner, Gram. § 229, 5 b.).—
      • c With sestertium, declined as subst. neutr., and the numeral adverbs from decies upward (also with ellips. of centena or centum milia; sestertium here = centum milia sestertiūm. The origin of this usage, which became general, has been much disputed, and it is usual to explain it, after Non. p. 495 (cf. Quint. 1, 6, 18), as a grammatical blunder, by which the gen. plur. sestertium has been mistaken for a neutr. sing., Zumpt, Gram. § 873; but it more probably grew out of the adj. use of sestertium with mille, supra; v. Fischer, Gram. 2, p. 269; cf. Neue, Formenl. 1, p. 116; Kühner, Gram. § 209).
      • • α Nom. and acc.: quom ei testamento sestertium milies relinquatur, Cic. Off. 3, 24, 93: nonne sestertium centies et octogies ... Romae in quaestu reliquisti? id. Pis. 35, 86: sestertium sexagies, quod advexerat Domitius, Caes. B. C. 1, 23, 4: sestertium quadringenties aerario illatum est, Tac. A. 13, 31: sestertium deciens numeratum esse, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 7, § 20; 2, 3, 70, § 163: quadringenties sestertium, quod debuisti, id. Phil. 2, 37, 93; id. Off. 3, 24, 93; Nep. Att. 14, 2: sestertium ducenties ex eā praedā redactum esse, Liv. 45, 43, 8; Val. Max. 9, 1, 6: sestertium milies in culinam congerere, Sen. Cons. ad Helv. 10, 3: quater milies sestertium suum vidit, id. Ben. 2, 27, 1; Plin. 18, 6, 7, § 37; Tac. A. 6, 45; 12, 22; 12, 53; 13, 31; id. H. 4, 47; Suet. Calig. 37; id. Galb. 5.—Sometimes with ellips. of sestertium: dissipatio, per quam Antonius septies miliens avertit, Cic. Phil. 5, 4, 11.—
        • β Gen.: syngrapha sestertii centies per legatos facta, Cic. Phil. 2, 37, 95: argenti ad summam sestertii decies in aerarium rettulit, Liv. 45, 4, 1: sestertii milies servus, Sen. Q. N. 1, 16, 1: liberalitas decies sestertii, Tac. A. 2, 37; 2, 86: centies sestertii largitio, id. ib. 12, 58; 12, 53; Plin. Ep. 10, 3 (5), 2.—
        • γ Abl.: quadragies sestertio villam venisse, Varr. R. R. 3, 17, 3: sexagies sestertio, tricies sestertio, Val. Max. 9, 1, 4: centies sestertio cenavit uno die, Sen. Cons. ad Helv. 9, 11: pantomimae decies sestertio nubunt, id. ib. 12, 5; id. Ben. 4, 36, 1; Plin. 8, 48, 74, § 196: accepto quinquagies sestertio, Tac. A. 3, 17; 6, 17; 16, 13; id. H. 4, 42; Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 7; Suet. Caes. 50; id. Tib. 48; id. Calig. 38, 4.—The sign HS., i.e. II. and semis, stands for sestertius, sestertia, and sestertium, in all the uses described above; when it is necessary, to avoid ambiguity, its meanings are distinguished thus: HS. XX. stands for sestertii viginti; HS. X͞X., with a line over the numeral, = sestertia vicena, or 20,000 sesterces; H͞S. X͞X., with lines over both signs, = sestertium vicies, or 2,000,000 sesterces (Kühner, Gram. § 229 Anm. 1). But in recent edd. the numerals are usu. written in full, when the meaning would otherwise be doubtful.—
  • C Transf., in gen.
  • • • a Nummo sestertio or sestertio nummo, for a small sum, for a trifle (good prose): ecquis est, qui bona C. Rabirii Postumi nummo sestertio sibi addici velit? Tua, Postume, nummo sestertio a me addicuntur, Cic. Rab. Post. 17, 45; Val. Max. 5, 2, 10: C. Matienus damnatus sestertio nummo veniit, Liv. Epit. 55: quae maxima inter vos habentur, divitiae, gratia, potentia, sestertio nummo aestiman da sunt, Sen. Ep. 95, 59; Val. Max. 8, 2, 3.—*
      • b Money, a sum of money: sestertio amplo comparare, for a large sum, Sol. 27 (40) fin.—
  • D In the times of the emperors, also, a copper coin, worth four asses, Plin. 34, 2, 2, § 4; cf. Eckhel. Doctr. Num. 6, p. 283.—*
• II ses-tertĭum, ii, n., in econom. lang., as a measure of dimension, two and a half feet deep: ipsum agrum sat erit bipalio vertere: quod vocant rustici sestertium, Col. Arb. 1, 5 (for which: siccus ager bipalio subigi debet, quae est altitudo pastinationis, cum in duos pedes et semissem convertitur humus, id. R. R. 3, 5, 3).

sēstertius, a, um (semis-tertius), dritthalb, I) als Münzbezeichnung, sestertius (mit Zeichen HS, d. t. II u. semis), iī, m. u. vollst. sestertius nummus, Genet. Plur. sestertiûm nummûm u. bl. sestertiûm od. sestertiorum, der Sesterz, A) eine Silbermünze, zur Zeit der Republik dritthalb As oder ein Vierteldenar, ungefähr 20 Pfennige (1000 sestertii = 200 Mark), 1) eig.: s. duodeni, Cic.: s. singuli, Plin.: s. nummus, Cic. u. Colum. – Der häufige Gebrauch der Genetivform sestertiûm bei den Zahlbestimmungen über mille bewirkte, daß man sie schon sehr früh für einen neutralen Nominativ hielt u. nicht bloß einen Plural sestertia bildete, sondern sestertium selbst als Singular deklinierte. Und zwar bedeutet sestertium (mit Auslassung von mille) die Summe von tausend Sesterzen u. neben dem multiplikativen Adv. decies, centies etc. (mit Auslassung von centena milia) die Summe von hunderttausend Sesterzen, also decies sestertium eine Million, centies sestertium zehn Millionen usw.: sescenta sestertia = 600000 Sesterze, Cic.: quadragena milia sestertia, Varro: septem sestertia, Hor.: milies sestertium = 100 Millionen, Cic.: sexagies sestertium, Caes.: decies sestertii, Liv.: sestertio decies, Cic.: sexagies sestertio, Suet.: a trecentis sestertiis (300 S.) ad-ūsqueduo sestertia (2000 S.) sūmptuscenarum propagatus est, Gell. 2, 24, 15. – 2) übtr.: a) nummo sestertio od. sestertio nummo, für eine geringe Summe, für eine Kleinigkeit, nummo sestertio od. sestertio nummo alci addici, Cic. Rab. Post. 45. Val. Max. 5, 2, 10: sestertio nummo venire (verkauft werden), Liv. epit. 55: alqm sestertio nummo damnare, Aur. Vict. 8, 2, 3: ut quae maxima inter nos habentur, divitiae, gratia, potentia, sestertio nummo aestimanda sint, Sen. ep. 95, 59. – b) amplo sestertio, für vieles Geld, basilisci reliquias amplo sestertio comparare, Solin. 27, 53. – B) in der Kaiserzeit auch eine Kupfermünze, 4 Asse an Wert, Plin. 34, 4. – II) in der ökonom. Sprache als Maßbestimmung, dritthalb Fuß Tiefe, sat erit bipalio vertere, quod vocant rustici sestertium, Colum. de arb. 1, 5.

sestertius [CL], coin, unit of money, sesterce, shilling. ~iorum, denariorum, feona GlP 541; centies centena milia sextertium annua a senatu conferre sibi imperavit J. Sal. Pol. 788A; de quolibet animali necato ad lardarium prepositus de omni panello pro ~io quolibet rendebit de j d., viz. si animal valuerit x s. rendebit de visceribus ejusdem x d. Reg. Rough 227.

1 sēstertĭus, (13) a, um (semis, tertius), qui contient deux et demi : ¶ 1 sestertius nummus, sesterce ; gén. pl. sestertium nummum Cic. Or. 56 ; Varro R. 3, 6, 1 ; v. sestertius 2 ¶ 2 [fig.] de faible valeur : sestertio nummo æstimare aliquid Sen. Ep. 95, 59, estimer qqch. un rien, cf. Cic. Rab. Post. 45.

2 sēstertĭus, (8) ĭī, m. , sesterce, monnaie dʼargent valant deux as et demi ou le quart du denier, en abrégé II et S(emis), devenu HS ¶ 1 de 1 à 1 000 la forme sestertius est dʼusage ; quattuor sestertii, centum, mille sestertii, quatre, cent, mille sesterces ¶ 2 à partir de 1 000 : a) gén. pl. sestertium : bina milia sestertium, 2 000 sesterces ; rar^t sestertiorum ; b) sestertium nʼétant plus senti comme génitif a été pris comme un subst. neutre = 1 000 sesterces ; dʼoù tria, septem, trecenta sestertia, 3 000, 7 000, 300 000 sesterces ; et plus souvent avec les distributifs ¶ 3 les millions sont désignés de deux façons : a) decies, vicies, tricies centena milia sestertium, 10 fois, 20 fois, 30 fois 100 000 sesterces = 1, 2, 3 millions de sesterces ; b) suppression de centena avec sestertium se déclinant, touj. au sing. et signifiant 100 000 sesterces : ei sestertium milies relinquitur Cic. Off. 3, 93, il lui est laissé 100 millions de sesterces ; syngrapha sestertii centies Cic. Phil. 2, 95, obligation de 10 millions de sesterces ; centies sestertio cenare Sen. Helv. 10, 4, faire un dîner de 10 millions de sesterces ¶ 4 abréviations : HS XX = 20 sesterces ; HS XX = 20 000 sesterces ; HS |XX| = 2 000 000 de sesterces ¶ 5 [fig.] amplo sestertio emere Sol. 27, 53, acheter cher, à prix dʼor ¶ 6 sous les empereurs, monnaie de cuivre valant 4 as : Plin. 34, 4.

sestertius , ii. m. abbrev. h-s.
二十銅錢。二尺斗。衣類。H-S. dem vel decem sestertii 二百銅錢。H-S. dena vel dena (millia) sestertium 二十萬銅錢。

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sēstertius or HS (i. e. II semis), adj.num.

• for * semis-tertius, two and a half.—As substm. (sc. nummus; genplur. sestertiūm), a sesterce(a small silver coin, originally two and a half asses, worth twopence and half a farthing sterling, or four and one tenth cents): cum esset tritici modius sestertiis duobus: cum HS XXX scripta essent pro HS CCC: praedia pluris sestertiūm XXX milium habere, L.—Plurn. as subst., with ellipse of milia, thousands of sesterces.—Usu. with numdistr.: fundus, qui sestertia dena meritasset: HS quingena (i. e. quindecim milia sestertiūm).— Rarely with numcard.: sestertia centum, S.: septem donat sestertia, H.—With ellipse of centena milia: HS quater deciens (i. e. sestertiūm quater deciens centena milia, or 1,400,000 sesterces).—For the phrase, centena milia sestertiūm, the word sestertium was commonly used, and declined as substn., with the numeral adverbs from deciens upward: quom ei testamento sestertium milies relinquatur: sestertium centiens et octogiens: HS LX, quod advexerat Domitius, Cs.: sestertium deciens numeratum esse: argenti ad summam sestertii deciens in aerarium rettulit, L.: in sestertio centiens adfluentius vivere, N.—With nummus, in abl.of price, at an insignificant sum, for a trifle: bona nummo sestertio sibi addici velle: si amplius HS nummo petisti.

SESTERTIUS

SESTER´TIUSThis term is a contraction for semis tertius, which is the Latin way of expressing 2 1/2 It may be used for various weights and measures: for example, pes sestertius is 2 1/2 feet. But it has been more usually applied to coin: the numus sestertius, sestertius, or, as it is rendered in English, sesterce, was the unit according to which sums of money were reckoned by the Romans almost throughout their history. It was expressed on the coins themselves and in documents by the symbol ΗΣ (two units and a semis), or with a line through, H-S, a form commonly though incorrectly printed as ΗΣ.

According to the view of Mommsen (Röm. Münzw. p. 292), when silver coin was first issued at Rome (B.C. 269: As, p. 205) it was based on the equation of the scruple of silver (17.5 grains) to one libral as of 10 ounces, or 2 1/2 of the current reduced asses of 4 ounces. Thus the denarius (10 asses) was equal to 4 sestertii, and the quinarius to 2 sestertii. But this equivalence of the sestertius to 2 1/2 copper asses as current did not last long: in the time of the Hannibalic wars it was decreed that thenceforth 16 asses should go to the denarius and 4 to the sertertius, excepting in case of military pay, in which the old relations were preserved. Up to that time, as the sestertius and the libral as had been equivalent, money had been reckoned in either indifferently; but thereafter the sestertius became the regular unit.

Shortly after its issue the sestertius fell in weight from 17 1/2 to 15 grains. After a time it ceased to be issued as a silver coin, though as a quarter of the denarius it remained as money of account. M. Antony issued sestertii in copper with the marks of value ΗΣ and Δ; that is, sestertii of four asses. And Augustus ordained that the sestertius of 4 asses and the dupondius of 2 should be struck in brass (orichalcum), while the as should be minted in copper.

In reckoning sums of money the Romans sometimes, but not often, reckoned by denarii. But far more usually they reckoned either by the libral as (in which case aeris or aeris gravis would, be added) or by the sestertius, which was originally the equivalent of the libral as. [AS]

Sums up to a thousand sestertii were simply stated in sestertii. But sums of several thousand sestertii were expressed as so many milia sestertiorum numorum or sestertium numum. Thus decem milia sestertium is 10,000 sestertii; and the same amount is sometimes expressed by the formula decem sestertia, where sestertia is usually regarded as the plural of a neuter form sestertium (= 1000 sestertii), though to this view there are grammatical objections. Sums of a million sestertii and upwards are expressed by a use of the numeral adverbs in--ies; centena milia, a hundred thousand, being expressed or understood. Thus a million sestertii are decies centena milia sestertium, a phrase abridged to decies sestertium. Similarly, vicies and tricies sestertium stand for two and three million sestertii, and so on. As an example, we find in Cicero (Verr. Act. Sec. 1.39, 100) 2,235,417 sestertii thus expressed: vicies ducenta triginta quinque milia quadringentos xvii numos (i. e. sestertios). The distinction between units, thousands, and hundreds of thousands of sestertii is conventionally expressed merely by adding lines above or beside the numeral: thus ΗΣΧ = 10 sestertii; ΗΣΧ_ = 10,000 sestertii or 10 sestertia; ΗΣ X=decies sestertium or 1,000,000 sestertii.

The English equivalent of sums stated in sestertii cannot be accurately ascertained, since different values will be given according to the relation presumed between the value of silver and that of gold; but an approximation sufficient for all purposes will be reached if the metal value of a sestertius or sesterce is taken at two-pence, and that of a sestertium at £8 sterling. What was as regards purchasing power the equivalent of a sestertius in modern money, is a different and an insoluble problem.

[P.G]

Sestertius

(contracted from semis tertius—i. e. 2 1/2, expressed by the Roman symbol usually printed HS—i. e. II+S(emis), two units and a half). A coin, during the Republic, of silver; under the Empire, of copper, or more usually brass=1/4 denarius, originally 2 1/2 asses (whence the name); later, i. e. after B.C. 217, six asses. It was then worth $0.04. Under the early Empire it was worth about $0.05. After B.C. 209, when the Romans instituted a silver coinage, the copper as was suddenly reduced to 4 oz., and the sestertius (2 1/2X4 oz.) became equivalent to one old as of 10 oz., instead of the original pound of 12 oz. It long continued to be used as the ordinary monetary unit. During the Republic and the first 300 years of the Empire amounts were reckoned in sesterces. Owing to the common use of milia sestertiûm (for milia sestertiorum), it became customary to treat sestertium as a neuter singular, and to omit milia. Sestertium thus denotes a sum of 1000 sesterces=(at $0.05 per sesterce) $50. A million sesterces ($50,000) was called originally decies centena (lit. “ten times one hundred thousand”) sestertium, which was shortened to decies sestertium. 100,000 sesterces had thus become a customary unit for reckoning large sums of money. See numismatics, p. 1112.