What does Sestertius mean in Latin?
two-and-a-half
From Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”), from sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”).
How do you pronounce sestertius?
noun, plural ses·ter·ti·i [se-stur-hee-ahy].
How many sesterces in an aureus?
The aureus, worth 25 silver denarii and 100 brass sesterces, had immense buying power, in modern terms roughly equivalent to $500 (or 420 euros). Augustus struck an immense number of gold aurei, at Rome and at cities throughout the Roman Empire.
What is the Roman abbreviation for Sesterces?
SESTE′RTIUS, a Roman coin, which properly belonged to the silver coinage, in which it was one-fourth of the denarius, and therefore equal to 2½ asses. Hence the name, which is an abbreviation of semis tertius (sc.
How many sestertius are in a denarius?
4 Sestertii
4 Sestertii make a silver coin called a Denarius. This small silver coin was equal to a day’s pay for the average Roman.
How much is a solidus worth?
Solidus (“solid coin”): The basic unit of the Byzantine monetary system, equaling 1/72 of one Roman pound of gold.
How much is a Roman Sesterces worth?
According to the price of gold, the sesterce today would be worth $3.25, by the price of silver, the sesterce today would be worth $2.00, according to general labor rates, 1 sesterce = $0.50, while prostitute prices would set the PPP value of the sesterce at somewhere between about $15 and about $50.
What does denarius mean in English?
silver coin
1 : a small silver coin of ancient Rome. 2 : a gold coin of the Roman Empire equivalent to 25 denarii.
What is sestertius coin?
The sestertius (plural sestertii), or sesterce (plural sesterces), was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire it was a large brass coin.
How much is a sestertius worth in today’s money?
This would suggest a modern equivalence of about 1 sesterce = $0.50, that is 1 denarius = $2.00. Other such calculations could set the value of 1 sestertius as the equivalent of as much as $1.50.
How much is a sestertius?
During the Roman Empire it was a large brass coin. The name sestertius means “two and one half”, referring to its nominal value of two and a half asses (a bronze Roman coin, singular as), a value that was useful for commerce because it was one quarter of a denarius, a coin worth ten asses.
What does Sesterce mean in English?
/ (ˈsɛstɛːs) / noun. a silver or, later, bronze coin of ancient Rome worth a quarter of a denarius.
When to use a distributive adverb in sestertia?
When a distributive numeral is used in front of the neuter plural sēstertia, it is read as that many thousands of sesterces. When a numeral adverb is used in front of the genitive plural sēstertium, it is read as that many hundred thousands of sesterces.
What was the value of a Roman sestertius coin?
( historical) A large bronze or (rarely) small silver coin minted during the Roman Republic and Empire, valued at two and a half asses (a quarter of a denarius ). From sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), due to its value in asses . Four sesterces were equal to one denarius, and a hundred sesterces to one aureus.
How many sesterces are equal to one denarius?
From sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), due to its value in asses . Four sesterces were equal to one denarius, and a hundred sesterces to one aureus. Although there were larger coins in the empire, many large prices were calculated in sesterces instead.