however small

* * *

as, assis, m. (nom. assis, Don. ad Ter. Phorm. 1, 1, 9, and Schol. ad Pers. 2, 59; old form assārĭus, ii, m.; and in the gen. plur. assariūm, Varr. L. L. 8, § 71 Müll.; Charis. p. 58 P.) [heis, Dor. ais, Tarent. as, Hinter].

In gen., unity, a unit; as a standard for different coins, weight, measure, etc. (in Vitr. 3, 1, p. 61 Rode, perfectus numerus, the perfect number, fundamental number), acc. to the duodecimal system, divided into 12 parts, or uncias, with the following particular designations: uncia = 1s./12 duodecima (sc. pars) sextans = 2/12 = 1s./6 sexta quadrans = 3/12 = 1s./4 quarta, also teruncius or triuncis triens = 4/12 = 1s./3 tertia or quincunx = 5s./12 sextans cum quadrante semissis s. semis = 6/12 = 1s./2 dimidia septunx = 7s./12 quadrans cum triente bessis s. bes = 8/12 = 2/3, for beis s. binae partes assis. dodrans = 9/12 = 3s./4 terni quadrantes dextans s. decunx = 10/12 = 5s./6 quini sextantes deunx = 11s./12 undecim unciaeThe uncia was again divided into smaller parts: semuncia = 1/2 uncia = 1/24 assis. duella = 1/3 uncia = 1/36 assis. sicilicus (-um) = 1/4 uncia = 1/48 assis. sextula = 1/6 uncia = 1/72 assis. drachma = 1/8 uncia = 1/96 assis. hemisecla = 1/12 uncia = 1/144 assis. scripulum = 1/24 uncia = 1/288 assis.The multiples of the as received the following designations: dupondius = 2 asses. tripondius s. tressis = 3 asses. (quadressis) = 4 asses. quinquessis = 5 asses. sexis (only in the connection decussissexis in Vitr. 1. c.) = 6 asses. septissis = 7 asses. octussis = 8 asses. nonussis (novissis?) = 9 asses. decussis = 10 asses. bicessis = 20 asses. tricessis = 30 asses, and so on to centussis = 100 asses. (Cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 169 sq. Müll.)

Esp.

1.. As a copper coin, the as was, acc. to the ancient custom of weighing money, originally a pound (asses librales or aes grave), of the value of about 8 8 d. /89, or 16 2/3 cents, and was uncoined (aes rude) until Servius Tullius stamped it with the figures of animals (hence pecunia, from pecus); cf. Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 9; Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 42 sqq. In the first Punic war, on account of the scarcity of money, the as was reduced to a sixth part of its original weight, i. e. two ounces; hence asses sextantarii (of the value of about 1 103 d. /297, or 2.8 cents), and the state gained five sixths. In the second Punic war, and the dictatorship of Fabius, the as was again reduced one half, to one ounce; hence asses unciales, about equal to 200 d. /297, or 1.4 cents. Finally, the Lex Papiria (A.U.C. 563, B.C. 191) reduced the as to half an ounce; hence asses semiunciales = 100 d. /297, or 7.9 1/3 mills, which continued as a standard even under the emperors. In all these reductions, however, the names of coins remained, independent of the weight of the as: uncia, sextans, quadrans, etc.; cf. Grotef. Gr. II. p. 253 sq.—From the small value of the as after the last reduction, the following phrases arose: quod non opus est, asse carum est, Cato ap. Sen. Ep. 94:

Quod (sc. pondus auri) si comminuas, vilem redigatur ad assem,

Hor. S. 1, 1, 43:

viatica ad assem Perdiderat,

to the last farthing, id. Ep. 2, 2, 27:

ad assem impendium reddere,

Plin. Ep. 1, 15:

rumores Omnes unius aestimemus assis,

Cat. 5, 3:

Non assis facis?

id. 42, 13.—Hence,

The proverbs,

Assem habeas, assem valeas, your worth is estimated by your possessions, Petr. 77, 6:

crumena plena assium,

Gell. 20, 1.—

Assem elephanto dare, to give something (as a petition, and the like) with trembling to a superior (a metaphor derived from trained elephants, which, after playing their parts, were accustomed to take pay for themselves, which was given them with fear by the multitude; cf. Plin. 8, 5, 5, § 14), Augustus ap. Quint. 6, 3, 59, and Macr. S. 2, 4; Varr. ap. Non. p. 531, 10 sq.—

In inheritances and other money matters, where a division was made, the as, with its parts, was used to designate the portions. Thus haeres ex asse, sole heir; haeres ex semisse, he who receives one half of the inheritance; haeres ex dodrante, he who receives three fourths; and so, haeres ex besse, triente, quadrante, sextante, etc.;

ex semiunciā, ex sextulā, ex duabus sextulis, etc.,

Dig. 28, 5, 50; 34, 9, 2; Suet. Caes. 83; Cic. Caecin. 6 et saep.:

Nerva constituit, ut tu ex triente socius esses, ego ex besse,

Dig. 17, 2, 76:

bessem fundi emere ab aliquo,

ib. 26, 21, 2, § 39:

quadrans et semissis fundi,

ib. 6, 1, 8 al.;

hence, in assem, in asse, or ex asse,

in all, entirely, completely, Dig. 36, 45:

vendere fundum in assem,

ib. 20, 6, 9; so Col. 3, 3, 8 and 9:

in asse,

id. 2, 12, 7:

sic in asse flunt octo menses et dies decem,

id. 2, 12, 7:

ex asse aut ex parte possidere,

Dig. 2, 8, 15; Sid. Ep. 2, 1; 6, 12; 8, 6 al.—

As a measure of extent.

An acre, acc. to the same divisions as above, from scripulum to the as, Col. 5, 1, 9 sq.:

proscindere semissem, iterare assem,

Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 178.—

A foot, Col. 5, 3.—

Of weight, a pound, acc. to the same division; cf.

Fann. Pond. 41: In haec solide sexta face assis eat,

Ov. Med. Fac. 60.← Mathematicians (v. Vitr. l. c.) called the number 6 perfectus numerus (since 1 + 2 + 3 = 6), and formed, accordingly, the following terminology: 1 = sextans, as a dice-number. unio. 2 = triens.......... binio. 3 = semissis.......... ternio. 4 = bessis (dimoiros)..... quaternio. 5 = quintarius....... quinio. 6 = perfectus numerus.... senio. 7 = ephektos, sex adjecto asse = 6 + 1. 8 = adtertiarius, sex adjectā tertiā = 6 + 2 (epitritos). 9 = sesquialter, sex adjectā dimidiā = 6 + 3 (hêmiolios). 10 = bes alter, sex duabus partibus additis = 6 + 4 (epidimoiros). 11 = adquintarius, sex quinque partibus additis = 6 + 5 (epipentamoiros). 12 = duplio (diplasiôn).

dĭgĭtus, i, m. [Gr. daktulos; cf. Germ. Zehe, Eng. toe; from root dek(dechomai), to grasp, receive; cf.

Germ. Finger, from fangen,

Curt. Gr. Etym. 133. Corssen, however, still refers digitus to root dik-, dico, deiknumi, as the pointer, indicator, Ausspr. 1, 380; cf. dico], a finger.

Prop.:

tot (cyathos bibimus), quot digiti sunt tibi in manu,

Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 24; id. Most. 5, 1, 69; id. Mil. 2, 2, 47; 4, 2, 57 et saep.—The special designations: pollex, the thumb; index or salutaris, the forefinger; medius, also infamis and impudicus, the middle finger; minimo proximus or medicinalis, the ring-finger; minimus, the little finger, v. under those words.—

Special connections:

attingere aliquem digito (uno),

to touch one lightly, gently, Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 15; Ter. Eun. 4, 6, 2 Ruhnk.; Licinius ap. Gell. 19, 9, 13; Cic. Tusc. 5, 19, 55; cf.

with tangere,

Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 30; id. Poen. 5, 5, 29:

attingere aliquid extremis digitis (with primoribus labris gustare),

to touch lightly, to enjoy slightly, Cic. Cael. 12:

attingere caelum digito,

to be exceedingly happy, id. Att. 2, 1, 7: colere summis digitis, to adore (to touch the offering or consecrated gift) with the tips of the fingers, Lact. 1, 20; 5, 19 fin.; cf. Ov. F. 2, 573:

computare digitis,

to count on the fingers, to reckon up, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 51; Plin. 34, 8, 19, no. 29, § 88; cf.:

numerare per digitos,

Ov. F. 3, 123:

in digitis suis singulas partis causae constituere,

Cic. Div. in Caec. 14, 45.—Hence, venire ad digitos, to be reckoned, Plin. 2, 23, 21, § 87; and:

si tuos digitos novi,

thy skill in reckoning, Cic. Att. 5, 21, 13; cf.

also: digerere argumenta in digitos,

to count on the fingers, Quint. 11, 3, 114: concrepare digitos or digitis, to snap the fingers, as a signal of command, Petr. 27, 5; Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 53; Cic. Off. 3, 19; v. concrepo; cf.

also: digitus crepans,

Mart. 3, 82, 15:

digitorum crepitus,

id. 14, 119:

digitorum percussio,

Cic. Off. 3, 19, 78:

intendere digitum ad aliquid,

to point the finger at any thing, Cic. de Or. 1, 46 fin.:

liceri digito,

to hold up the finger in bidding at an auction, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 11;

for which also: tollere digitum,

id. ib. 2, 1, 54. The latter phrase also signifies, to raise the finger in token of submission, said of a combatant, Sid. Ep. 5, 7; cf. Mart. Spect. 29, 5;

and Schol,

Pers. 5, 119:

loqui digitis nutuque,

to talk by signs, Ov. Tr. 2, 453;

different is: postquam fuerant digiti cum voce locuti,

i. e. playing as an accompaniment to singing, Tib. 3, 4, 41; cf.:

ad digiti sonum,

id. 1, 2, 31; cf. also Lucr. 4, 587; 5, 1384:

digito compesce labellum,

hold your tongue, Juv. 1, 160.—For the various modes of employing the fingers in oratorical delivery, cf. Quint. 1, 10, 35; 11, 3, 92 sq.; 103; 120 al.: monstrari digito, i. e. to be pointed out, to become distinguished, famous, Hor. C. 4, 3, 22; Pers. 1, 28;

for which: demonstrari digito,

Tac. Or. 7 fin.; Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 266; id. Rep. 6, 24; Nep. Datam. 11, 5; Suet. Aug. 45.—Prov. phrases:

nescit, quot digitos habeat in manu, of one who knows nothing at all,

Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 5:

in digitis hodie percoquam quod ceperit,

i. e. he has caught nothing, id. Rud. 4, 1, 11: ne digitum quidem porrigere, not to stretch out a finger, like the Gr. daktulon mê proteinai, ekteinai, for not to give one's self the least trouble, Cic. Fin. 3, 17, 57; cf.:

exserere digitum,

Pers. 5, 119 Scal.;

and in like manner: proferre digitum,

to move a finger, to make any exertion, Cic. Caecin. 25, 71:

scalpere caput digito, of effeminate men fearful of disarranging their hair,

Juv. 9, 133; cf. Sen. Ep. 52 fin.; a habit of Pompey's, acc. to Calvus ap. Schol. Luc. 7, 726, and Sen. Contr. 3, 19; Amm. 17, 11. (Cf. Echtermeyer's Ueber Namen und symbolische Bedeutung der Finger bei den Griechen und Römern, Progr. d. Hall. Pädagogiums, v. 1835.)

Transf.

A toe (cf. Heb., Gr. daktulos, Fr. doigt), Lucr. 3, 527; Verg. A. 5, 426; Petr. 132, 14; Sen. Ep. 111; Quint. 2, 3, 8 et saep.; also of the toes of animals, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 4; Col. 8, 2, 8; Plin. 10, 42, 59, § 119 al.—

A small bough, a twig, Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 12; 17, 24, 37, § 224.—

As a measure of length, an inch, the sixteenth part of a Roman foot (pes), Front. Aquaed. 24 sq.; Caes. B. G. 7, 73, 6; id. B. C. 2, 10, 4; Juv. 12, 59 al.: digiti primores, finger-ends, as a measure, Cato R. R. 21, 2;

digitus transversus,

a fingerbreadth, id. ib. 45 fin.;

48, 2.—Prov.: digitum transversum non discedere ab aliqua re,

not to swerve a finger's breadth, Cic. Ac. 2, 18, 58; cf.

without transversum: nusquam ab argento digitum discedere,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 15;

and ellipt.: ab honestissima sententia digitum nusquam,

id. Att. 7, 3, 11.

Dĭgĭtus, i, m., a proper name; in plur.: Digiti Idaei = Daktuloi Idaioi, the priests of Cybele, Cic. N. D. 3, 16, 42; cf. Arn. 3, 41 and 43, and v. Dactylus.

dĭgĭtus, i, m. [Gr. daktulos; cf. Germ. Zehe, Eng. toe; from root dek(dechomai), to grasp, receive; cf.

Germ. Finger, from fangen,

Curt. Gr. Etym. 133. Corssen, however, still refers digitus to root dik-, dico, deiknumi, as the pointer, indicator, Ausspr. 1, 380; cf. dico], a finger.

Prop.:

tot (cyathos bibimus), quot digiti sunt tibi in manu,

Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 24; id. Most. 5, 1, 69; id. Mil. 2, 2, 47; 4, 2, 57 et saep.—The special designations: pollex, the thumb; index or salutaris, the forefinger; medius, also infamis and impudicus, the middle finger; minimo proximus or medicinalis, the ring-finger; minimus, the little finger, v. under those words.—

Special connections:

attingere aliquem digito (uno),

to touch one lightly, gently, Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 15; Ter. Eun. 4, 6, 2 Ruhnk.; Licinius ap. Gell. 19, 9, 13; Cic. Tusc. 5, 19, 55; cf.

with tangere,

Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 30; id. Poen. 5, 5, 29:

attingere aliquid extremis digitis (with primoribus labris gustare),

to touch lightly, to enjoy slightly, Cic. Cael. 12:

attingere caelum digito,

to be exceedingly happy, id. Att. 2, 1, 7: colere summis digitis, to adore (to touch the offering or consecrated gift) with the tips of the fingers, Lact. 1, 20; 5, 19 fin.; cf. Ov. F. 2, 573:

computare digitis,

to count on the fingers, to reckon up, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 51; Plin. 34, 8, 19, no. 29, § 88; cf.:

numerare per digitos,

Ov. F. 3, 123:

in digitis suis singulas partis causae constituere,

Cic. Div. in Caec. 14, 45.—Hence, venire ad digitos, to be reckoned, Plin. 2, 23, 21, § 87; and:

si tuos digitos novi,

thy skill in reckoning, Cic. Att. 5, 21, 13; cf.

also: digerere argumenta in digitos,

to count on the fingers, Quint. 11, 3, 114: concrepare digitos or digitis, to snap the fingers, as a signal of command, Petr. 27, 5; Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 53; Cic. Off. 3, 19; v. concrepo; cf.

also: digitus crepans,

Mart. 3, 82, 15:

digitorum crepitus,

id. 14, 119:

digitorum percussio,

Cic. Off. 3, 19, 78:

intendere digitum ad aliquid,

to point the finger at any thing, Cic. de Or. 1, 46 fin.:

liceri digito,

to hold up the finger in bidding at an auction, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 11;

for which also: tollere digitum,

id. ib. 2, 1, 54. The latter phrase also signifies, to raise the finger in token of submission, said of a combatant, Sid. Ep. 5, 7; cf. Mart. Spect. 29, 5;

and Schol,

Pers. 5, 119:

loqui digitis nutuque,

to talk by signs, Ov. Tr. 2, 453;

different is: postquam fuerant digiti cum voce locuti,

i. e. playing as an accompaniment to singing, Tib. 3, 4, 41; cf.:

ad digiti sonum,

id. 1, 2, 31; cf. also Lucr. 4, 587; 5, 1384:

digito compesce labellum,

hold your tongue, Juv. 1, 160.—For the various modes of employing the fingers in oratorical delivery, cf. Quint. 1, 10, 35; 11, 3, 92 sq.; 103; 120 al.: monstrari digito, i. e. to be pointed out, to become distinguished, famous, Hor. C. 4, 3, 22; Pers. 1, 28;

for which: demonstrari digito,

Tac. Or. 7 fin.; Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 266; id. Rep. 6, 24; Nep. Datam. 11, 5; Suet. Aug. 45.—Prov. phrases:

nescit, quot digitos habeat in manu, of one who knows nothing at all,

Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 5:

in digitis hodie percoquam quod ceperit,

i. e. he has caught nothing, id. Rud. 4, 1, 11: ne digitum quidem porrigere, not to stretch out a finger, like the Gr. daktulon mê proteinai, ekteinai, for not to give one's self the least trouble, Cic. Fin. 3, 17, 57; cf.:

exserere digitum,

Pers. 5, 119 Scal.;

and in like manner: proferre digitum,

to move a finger, to make any exertion, Cic. Caecin. 25, 71:

scalpere caput digito, of effeminate men fearful of disarranging their hair,

Juv. 9, 133; cf. Sen. Ep. 52 fin.; a habit of Pompey's, acc. to Calvus ap. Schol. Luc. 7, 726, and Sen. Contr. 3, 19; Amm. 17, 11. (Cf. Echtermeyer's Ueber Namen und symbolische Bedeutung der Finger bei den Griechen und Römern, Progr. d. Hall. Pädagogiums, v. 1835.)

Transf.

A toe (cf. Heb., Gr. daktulos, Fr. doigt), Lucr. 3, 527; Verg. A. 5, 426; Petr. 132, 14; Sen. Ep. 111; Quint. 2, 3, 8 et saep.; also of the toes of animals, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 4; Col. 8, 2, 8; Plin. 10, 42, 59, § 119 al.—

A small bough, a twig, Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 12; 17, 24, 37, § 224.—

As a measure of length, an inch, the sixteenth part of a Roman foot (pes), Front. Aquaed. 24 sq.; Caes. B. G. 7, 73, 6; id. B. C. 2, 10, 4; Juv. 12, 59 al.: digiti primores, finger-ends, as a measure, Cato R. R. 21, 2;

digitus transversus,

a fingerbreadth, id. ib. 45 fin.;

48, 2.—Prov.: digitum transversum non discedere ab aliqua re,

not to swerve a finger's breadth, Cic. Ac. 2, 18, 58; cf.

without transversum: nusquam ab argento digitum discedere,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 15;

and ellipt.: ab honestissima sententia digitum nusquam,

id. Att. 7, 3, 11.

Dĭgĭtus, i, m., a proper name; in plur.: Digiti Idaei = Daktuloi Idaioi, the priests of Cybele, Cic. N. D. 3, 16, 42; cf. Arn. 3, 41 and 43, and v. Dactylus.