BOOK VII.

261

course consists of one hundred librae, and for that reason is called ahundred weight.

The various weights are :—

1st = 100 librae = centumpondium.

2nd = 503rd = 524th = 16 ,,

5th = 8

6th = 4

7th = 2

8th = 1 libra.

This libra consists of sixteen unciae, and the half part 1 of the libra isthe selibra, which our people call a mark, and consists of eight unciae, or, asthey divide it, of sixteen semunciae : —gth = 8 unciae.

10th — 8 semunciae.nth =412th = 2

13th = 1 semuncia.

14th = 1 sicilicus.

15th = 1 drachma.

16th = 1 dimidi-drachma.

The above is how the “ greater ” weights are divided. The “ lesser "weights are made of silver or brass or copper. Of these, the first and largestgenerally weighs one drachma, for it is necessary for us to weigh, not onlyore, but also metals to be assayed, and smaller quantities of lead. The firstof these weights is called a centumpondium and the number of librae in itcorresponds to the larger scale, being likewise one hundred 42 .

The 1st is

called

1 centumpondium.

,, 2nd

iy

50 librae.

„ 3rd

yy

25 „

,, 4th

y y

16 „

» 5 th

y y

8 „

„ 6 th

yy

4 »

„ 7th

y y

2 „

„ 8th

yy

1 „

9 th

yy

1 selibra.

„ 10th

yy

8 semunciae.

„ nth

yy

4

» 12 th

y y

2

„ 13 th

yy

1

» 14th

yy

1 sicilicus.

The fourteenth is the last, for the proportionate weights which correspondwith a drachma and half a drachma are not used. On all these weights ofthe lesser scale, are written the numbers of librae and of semunciae. Some

42 See note 37, p. 242, for discussion of this “ Assay ton ” arrangement.