talentum

tălentum, i (gen. plur. talentum, Cic. Rab. Post. 8, 21; Liv. 30, 16, 12 et saep.; rarely talentorum, Suet. Caes. 54), n. [τάλαντον, a thing weighed, a weight; hence], a talent, i. e.,

• I A Grecian weight, varying in different states, usually about half a hundred-weight (very rare): auri eborisque talenta, Verg. A. 11, 333: thynni, Plin. 9, 15, 17, § 44: turis, id. 12, 17, 40, § 80.—
• II A sum of money, likewise varying in amount.
• • • • a The Attic talent, which is most usually meant, contained sixty minae, i. e. £243 15s. sterling ($1182.19 in American gold): cum legati ab Alexandro quinquaginta ei talenta attulissent, quae erat pecunia temporibus illis, Athenis praesertim, maxima, Cic. Tusc. 5, 32, 91: decem milia talantum, id. Rab. Post. 8, 21; Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 114 (645); 4, 2, 10 (894); id. Truc. 5, 60 (952); Varr. ap. Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 136: argenti, Verg. A. 5, 112; Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 34; id. S. 2, 3, 226; 2, 7, 89 al.; cf. Rhem. Fan. Pond. 37 sq.; Fest. p. 359.—Sometimes called also magnum, C.Gracch. ap. Gell. 11, 10, 6; Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 71 (845); id. Most. 3, 1, 110 (641); id. Cist. 2, 3, 19 (561).—
      • b Another talent of eighty minae, Liv. 38, 38.—
      • c The Egyptian talent, Varr. ap. Plin. 33, 3, 15, § 52.

talentum, ī, n. (τάλαντον, eig. die Wage, übtr. das Gewicht, dann übh. das, was abwägt, dah. I) ein griechisches Gewicht, Talent, in verschiedenen Staaten von verschiedener Schwere, meistens gegen einen halben Zentner, das italische = 100 röm. Pfund, aurique eborisque talenta, Verg.: talentum thynni, turis, Plin. – II) eine Summe Geldes, ein Talent, in den verschiedenen griechischen Staaten und zu verschiedenen Zeiten von verschiedenem Werte (das attische Talent = 60 Minen, nach unserem Gelde rund 4800 Mark), Cic. u.a.: Atticum talentum, Varro fr. – C. Gracch. u. Plaut. nennen das attische Talent talentum magnum. – ➳ Genet. Plur. gew. talentûm, Cic. Rab. Post. 21. Liv. 30, 16, 12 u.a. Curt. 4, 11 (43); 5, 2 (8), 11 u.a. Plin. 12, 80. Iustin. 12, 12. § 12; 33, 2, 5 u.a. (s. Neue-Wagener Formenl.³ 1, 171); aber auch talentorum, Plin. 33, 51. Suet. Caes. 54, 3.

talentum [CL < τάλαντον] 1 weight (of indeterminate amount, also as measure), talent; b (~um medium, minimum, summum); c (in gl., w. amount spec.). d (fig.) burden, weight. utrumque tamen et plumbum scilicet et aurum talenti habet mensuram Bede Tab. 422B; iniquitas ‥ que sedere dicitur super ~um plumbi onere gravi premit et opprimit humeros quibus incumbit J. Ford Serm. 99. 7; de hoc pondere legitur in Zacaria: vidi et ecce ~um plumbi portabatur [Zach. v 7] T. Chobham Serm. 5 f. 27va.  b ~um autem triplicis esse mensurae traditur: minimum librarum quinquaginta, medium autem librarum septuaginta duarum, summum librarum centum viginti Bede Ezra 866C; ~um quod ‘medius’ dicitur lx minas habet, quae faciunt lxxii libras Comm. Cant. 564 (cf. Isid. Etym. XVI 25. 22: talentum ‥ est autem triplex; id est minor, medius, summus. minor quinquaginta, medius septuaginta duarum librarum, summus centum viginti constat).  c ~um habet pondera lx quod facit libras lxxij Gl. Leid. 32. 10 (cf. ib. 33. 3: ~um habet lx [minas]); ~is, pundum GlP 575.  d c1325 corpus sui pontificis ‥ ponentes autem ~um illud preciosum in feretro V. Erkenwaldi 394. 2 unit of account (equal to the value of the corresponding weight unit of gold, silver, etc.), talent: a (of unspec. or uncertain value); b (equivalent to 50 pounds of silver); c (of gold, equivalent to 100 pounds); d (assoc. with Spanish maravedi). e (~um Saracenicum) golden bezant. a ~um, pondus argenti GlC T 8; argenti tria magna talenta quotannis / accipit a sterili ‥ humo L. Durh. Dial. II 169; c1180 pro hac donacione ‥ dederunt michi ‥ monachi octoginta marcas argenti ‥ dederunt eciam ‥ uxori mee unum ~um et ‥ filio ‥ meo unum ~um FormA 274; 1200 reddendo inde annuatim ‥ duo ~a et decem pyra de sancto regulo RChart 70a; 1252 unam pallam pretiosam et duo monilia et duos anulos et duodecim ~a M. Par. Maj. V 320; sub pena unius ~i CourtR A. Stratton 116.  b ut si vita ac libertate velit potiri, lx argenti ~a persolvat, singulis ~is l librarum pondere appensis Osb. V. Elph. 28 (= Brompton 889).  c condempnatus est ‥ in triginta talentis auri regi solvendis ‥ que summa se extendit ad tria milia librarum, videlicet pro quolibet talento c libras (Edm.) NLA II 675.  d 1253 item iiij marbotini auri ‥ ponderis xij d. ‥ summa ponderum ‥ iiij marbotinorum seu ~orum auri KR Ac 349/25.  e pro redemptione capitum suorum darent duobus regibus ducenta ~orum Saracenicorum millia Itin. Ric. III 17. 3 coin, talent; b (w. ref. to Matth. xxv 14–30); c (in representation). d (her.) bezant. ecce aptas clara semper lucrare taltane [i. e. ~a] (John the Old Saxon) ASE IX 82; jam late per populos auxit lucranda talenta Mir. Nin. 71; c1325 aureum feretro infixum quasi deosculans cum dentibus conabatur eripere ‥ dentem ~o herentem feretro conjunxit (Edm.) NLA II 661.  b ipse est servus piger et malus qui pro retentione ~i quod accepit in exteriores tenebras missus est Bede Prov. 973D; c796 quid ~um humo obruis? Alcuin Ep. 191; ne cum servo torpente pro absconso in terra ~o damner Ord. Vit. V 2 p. 6; quarta fuit de ~o multiplicando, juxta illud Mathei xxv T. Chobham Commend. Virt. 99.  c 1388 [alba brudata] cum lunis et parvis ~is et frectis aureis ‥ cum rosis, lunis, stellis, et ~is (Invent. Westm.) Arch. LII 247.  d si vero ipsa signa rotunda fuerint et solida et aurea, tunc vero non pile sed ~a vocantur, Gallice besauntes ‥ non est necessarium dicere colores in ~is, quia si non sunt aurei coloris, ~a non sunt. Bad. Aur. 132; in istis figuris pilarum, ‥ est sciendum quod tales possunt habere omnem colorem aureum. que si fuerint aurei coloris ~a vocari debent, quod speciale est in talentis, que semper coloris aurei sunt Upton 241. 4 power or opportunity divinely entrusted to a person for use, natural ability, talent (cf. 3b supra). creditorum vobis ~orum fidelissimae negotiationis officiis uberem fructum impendens Bede HE II 8 p. 95; 796 alius est qui ~um praedicationis accipit; alius sapientiae; alius divitiarum ‥ quidam forte alicujus artificii donum a Deo, horum omnium bonorum dispensatore Alcuin Ep. 111; si ~um scientie sibi a Domino commendatum sponte et gratis expenderit, non est abbreviata manus Domini P. Blois Ep. 26; de ~o scientie quod copiosius acceperat negociari cepit Canon. G. Sempr. f. 39 (cf. ib.: pro mei negotiatione ~i); 1236 tu cui commissum est ~um familiaritatis regie et dignitatis potestatis judiciarie ‥ satagas ‥ leges contrarias legibus divinis ‥ ad conformitatem legum divinarum ‥ revocare Gros. Ep. 23; 1292 ~um nobis commissum tempore nostri regiminis ‥ fecerimus augmentari Reg. Malm. II 375; magnum ‥ ~um est principibus a Deo creditum Gardiner VO 725.

tălentum, (10) ī, n. (τάλαντον), ¶ 1 talent [poids grec variable ; environ 50 livres] : Virg. En. 11, 333 ; Plin. 9, 44 ; 12, 80 ¶ 2 talent [somme dʼargent variable ; en Attique 60 mines, environ 30 000 francs dʼaujourdʼhui 20 000 € 2013] : Cic. Tusc. 5, 91 ; [qqf. appelé grand talent] magnum talentum Pl. Truc. 845 ; etc., cf. Gell. 11, 10, 6 || autre talent valant 80 mines : Liv. 38, 38, 13.

➳ gén. pl. talentum Cic. Rab. Post. 21 ; Liv. 30, 16, 12, etc. ; talentorum Suet. Cæs. 54.

talentum , i. n.
元寳。五百銀錢。

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talentum ī (genplur. talentūm, C., L.), n

• , τάλαντον, a talent, half a hundred-weight (a Grecian standard of weight): auri eborisque talenta, V.—A talent (a Grecian standard of value, usu. of sixty minae, equal to about £233 sterling or $1132 in gold): quinquaginta ei talenta adferre: decem milia talentūm: argenti, V.: Mille talenta rotundentur, H.; cf. talentum ne minus pondo octaginta Romanis ponderibus pendat (i. e. the great talent of eighty minae), L.

TALENTUM

TALENTUM(τάλαντον) was the heaviest unit of weight in use among the Greeks; and as a talent of gold, silver, or copper was a definite amount of money, varying of course with the standard by which it was weighed, the word stood also for monetary units. A large number of talents were in use in different parts of Greece--the Euboic, the Aeginetan, the Phoenician, &c.--the weights of which will be found in the tables under PONDERAPollux (9.86) mentions several of these, and gives their value in proportion to the Attic talent. He also remarks that the talent of each district contained 60 minae of that district, and the mina 100 drachmae.

There were, however, one or two talents of a peculiar character which require special mention. The talent of gold of Homer (Hom. Il. 9.124; 18.507-Z2; 23.262-Z2) was certainly some quite small amount; and ancient writers conjectured that it was of the weight of a daric (128 grains), a view which modern investigations tend to confirm. Of somewhat greater value was a talent of gold mentioned by the poet Philelmon as consisting of three χρυσοῖ or gold staters. Possibly they may have been the equivalent of a talent of copper.

Like all other nations, the Greeks used various, talents for different classes of goods. The Babylonians, as we have set forth under PONDERAhad one talent for gold, one for silver, and one for goods. In Athens in historical times the emporic or commercial talent was quite differen from the talent of the mint, bearing to it a relation of about 3 to 2. And even for different sorts of heavy goods special weights were employed. Thus we hear of a talent for weighing wood (ξυλικὸν τάλαντον) as in use at Antioch and at Alexandria; and in all places the Attic weights seem to have been used for drugs. For abundant references to ancient authorities, see τάλαντον in the index to Hultsch's Metrologici Scriptores.

[P.G]

Talentum

(τάλαντον; literally “a balance,” and “the thing weighed”). The Greek term for (1) the heaviest unit of weight;

(2) the designation of a sum of money consisting of a number of coins originally equal to it in legal weight and value. It was divided into 60 minae or 6000 drachmae. Among the different talents in use in Greece the most widely spread was the Attic, of which 1/6000 part (drachma) weighed 57 1/2 lbs. The intrinsic value of the metal contained in this sum of money was about $1180. The Aeginetan talent was worth about $1515. See mensura; numismatics.