quadrans

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quā̆drans, antis ( gen. plur. quadrantūm, Front. Aquaed. 24), m. [quattuor].

A fourth part, a fourth, a quarter:

operae,

Col. 2, 4, 8:

diei noctisque,

Plin. 18, 25, 57, § 207. —

In partic.

A fourth part, a fourth of a whole:

creditoribus quadrantem solvi,

Vell. 2, 23, 2:

heres ex quadrante,

of the fourth part of the inheritance, Suet. Caes. 83; cf. Plin. Ep. 5, 7, 1; Dig. 44, 4, 17, § 2; Ulp. Frag. 24, 32.—

The fourth part of an as (as a coin), three unciae:

nota in triente et quadrante rates (fuit). Quadrans antea teruncius vocatus a tribus unciis,

Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 45:

quadrans mihi nullus est in arcā,

not a farthing, not a copper, Mart. 2, 44, 9; Liv. 3, 18, 11; Juv. 1, 121.—As the customary price of a bath (cf. quadrantarius):

dum tu quadrante lavatum Rex ibis,

Hor. S. 1, 3, 137; cf. Sen. Ep. 86, 8; Juv. 6, 446.—As the smallest coin, a mite, farthing, Hor. S. 2, 3, 93; Juv. 7, 8; Vulg. Matt. 5, 26; id. Marc. 12, 42.—

Of the rate of interest, four for a hundred:

usurae quadrantes,

four per cent., Dig. 33, 1, 21.—

As a measure of land, a quarter of an acre (jugerum), Col. 5, 1, 10. —

As a weight, a quarter of a pound, Mart. 11, 105, 1.—With pondo:

amomi pondo quadrans,

Col. 12, 20, 5; Cato, R. R. 84, 1:

quadrans pondo bacarum,

Plin. 23, 8, 80, § 156. —

As a measure for liquids, the fourth part of a sextarius, three cyathi:

ita ut earum calices quadrantes octoginta capere possint,

Varr. R. R. 3, 14, 4:

quadrantem duplicare,

Mart. 9, 94, 2:

vini,

Cels. 3, 15.—

As a measure of length, a quarter of a foot:

pedes duodecim et quadrantem,

Gell. 3, 10, 11; 9, 4, 10; cf. Cato, R. R. 18, 2; 18, 6.— A quarter-digit, Front. Aquaed. 25.—

As a measure of time, a fourth of a day, six hours, Sol. 1, 39; 1, 41 sq.

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).

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aes, aeris (often used in plur. nom. and acc.; abl. aeribus, Cato ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 27 Müll., and Lucr. 2, 636; gen. AERVM, Inscr. Orell. 3551), n. [cf. Germ. Eisen = iron, Erz = copper; Goth. aiz = copper, gold; Angl.Sax. ar, ær = ore, copper, brass; Eng. iron, ore; Lat. aurum; with the com. notion of brightness; cf. aurora, etc.].

Any crude metal dug out of the earth, except gold and silver; esp.,

Aes Cyprium, whence cuprum, copper: scoria aeris, copper dross or scoria, Plin. 34, 11, 24, § 107:

aeris flos,

flowers of copper, id. 34, 11, 24, § 107:

squama aeris,

scales of copper, Cels. 2, 12 init.:

aes fundere,

Plin. 33, 5, 30, § 94:

conflare et temperare,

id. 7, 56, 57, § 197:

India neque aes neque plumbum habet,

id. 34, 17, 48, § 163:

aurum et argentum et aes,

Vulg. Ex. 25, 3.—

An alloy, for the most part of copper and tin, bronze (brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, was hardly known to the ancients. For their bronze coins the Greeks adhered to copper and tin till B.C. 400, after which they added lead. Silver is rare in Greek bronze coins. The Romans admitted lead into their bronze coins, but gradually reduced the quantity, and, under Calig., Nero, Vesp., and Domit., issued pure copper coins, and then reverted to the mixture of lead. In the bronze mirrors now existing, which are nearly all Etruscan, silver predominated to give a highly reflecting surface. The antique bronze had about 87 parts of copper to 13 of tin. An analysis of several objects has given the following centesimal parts: statua ex aere, Cic. Phil. 9, 6:

simulacrum ex aere factum,

Plin. 34, 4, 9, § 15:

valvas ex aere factitavere,

id. 34, 3, 7, § 13.—Hence:

ducere aliquem ex aere,

to cast one's image in bronze, id. 7, 37, 38, § 125; and in the same sense poet.:

ducere aera,

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 240:

aes Corinthium,

Plin. 34, 2, 3, §§ 5-8; v. Corinthius.—

Meton.

(Esp. in the poets.) For everything made or prepared from copper, bronze, etc. ( statues, tables of laws, money), and (as the ancients had the art of hardening and tempering copper and bronze) weapons, armor, utensils of husbandry: aes sonit, franguntur hastae, the trumpet sounds, Enn. ap. Non. 504, 32 (Trag. v. 213 Vahl.):

Et prior aeris erat quam ferri cognitus usus: Aere solum terrae tractabant, aereque belli Miscebant fluctus et vulnera vasta serebant, etc.,

Lucr. 5, 1287:

quae ille in aes incidit, in quo populi jussa perpetuasque leges esse voluit,

Cic. Phil. 1, 17; cf. id. Fam. 12, 1; Tac. A. 11, 14; 12, 53; id. H. 4, 40: aere ( with the trumpet, horn) ciere viros, Verg. A. 6, 165:

non tuba directi, non aeris cornua flexi,

Ov. M. 1, 98 (hence also rectum aes, the tuba, in contr. with the crooked buccina, Juv. 2, 118); a brazen prow, Verg. A. 1, 35; the brazen age, Hor. Epod. 16, 64.—In plur.: aera, Cato ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 27 Müll.; Verg. A. 2, 734; Hor. C. 4, 8, 2 al.—

Money: the first Roman money consisted of small rude masses of copper, called aes rude, Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 43; afterwards as coined:

aes signatum,

Cic. Leg. 3, 3; Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 43;

so aes alone: si aes habent, dant mercem,

Plaut. As. 1, 3, 49:

ancilla aere suo empta,

Ter. Phorm. 3, 2, 26: aes circumforaneum. borrowed from the brokers in the forum, Cic. Att. 2, 1: Hic meret aera liber Sosiis, earns them money, Hor. A. P. [p. 61] 345:

gravis aere dextra,

Verg. E. 1, 36:

effusum est aes tuum,

Vulg. Ez. 16, 36:

neque in zona aes (tollerent),

ib. Maarc. 6, 8:

etiam aureos nummos aes dicimus,

Dig. 50, 16, 159.—Hence,

Aes alienum, lit. the money of another; hence, in reference to him who has it, the sum owed, a debt, Plaut. Curc. 3, 1, 2:

habere aes alienum,

Cic. Fam. 5, 6:

aes alienum amicorum suscipere,

to take upon one's self, id. Off. 2, 16:

contrahere,

to run up, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8:

facere,

id. Att. 13, 46:

conflare,

Sall. C. 14, 2; 24, 3:

in aes alienum incidere,

to fall into debt, Cic. Cat. 2, 9:

in aere alieno esse,

to be in debt, id. Verr. 2, 2, 4, § 6; so,

aere alieno oppressum esse,

id. Font. 1; so Vulg. 1 Reg. 22, 2:

laborare ex aere alieno,

Caes. B. C. 3, 22:

liberare se aere alieno,

to get quit of, Cic. Att. 6, 2; so,

aes alienum dissolvere,

id. Sull. 56:

aere alieno exire,

to get out of, id. Phil. 11, 6.—

In aere meo est, trop., he is, as it were, among my effects, he is my friend (only in the language of common conversation):

in animo habui te in aere meo esse propter Lamiae nostri conjunctionem,

Cic. Fam. 13, 62; 15, 14.—

Alicujus aeris esse, to be of some value, Gell. 18, 5.—

In aere suo censeri, to be esteemed according to its own worth, Sen. Ep. 87.—

Sometimes = as, the unit of the standard of money (cf. as); hence, aes grave, the old heary money (as weighed, not counted out):

denis milibus aeris gravis reos condemnavit,

Liv. 5, 12:

indicibus dena milia aeris gravis, quae tum divitiae habebantur, data,

id. 4, 60; so, aes alone and in the gen. sing., instead of assium:

aeris miliens, triciens,

a hundred millions, three millions, Cic. Rep. 3, 10:

qui milibus aeris quinquaginta census fuisset,

Liv. 24, 11.—Also for coins that are smaller than an as (quadrans, triens, etc.):

nec pueri credunt, nisi qui nondum aere, i. e. quadrante, lavantur (those who bathed paid each a quadrans),

Juv. 2, 152 (cf.:

dum tu quadrante lavatum Rex ibis,

Hor. S. 1, 3, 137).—

Wages, pay.

A soldier's pay = stipendium:

negabant danda esse aera militibus,

Liv. 5, 4. And soon after: annua aera habes: annuam operam ede.— Hence in plur., = stipendia, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 13, § 33.—

Reward, payment, in gen., Juv. 6, 125: nullum in bonis numero, quod ad aes exit, that has in view or aims at pay, reward, Sen. Ep. 88.—

In plur.: aera, counters; hence also the items of a computed sum (for which, later, a sing. form aera, ae (q. v.), came into use): si aera singula probāsti, summam, quae ex his confecta sit, non probare? Cic. ap. Non. 3, 18.

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quā̆drantārĭus, a, um, adj. [id.].

Prop., of or belonging to a quarter, relating to a fourth part:

in tabulis quadrantariis, quas ait ab Hirtuleio institutas,

i. e. new accounts reducing all debts to one fourth, Cic. Font. 1, 2.—

In partic., relating to a quarter of an as (as a coin), that costs a quarter of an as, etc.: res quadrantaria, i. e. a bath (because a quarter of an as was the price of a bath;

v. quadrans, II. B),

Sen. Ep. 86, 8: mulier, of Clodia, wife of Metellus, who sold herself for a bath, Cic. Cael. 26, 62; she is also called Clytaemnestra quadrantaria, because, like Clytaemnestra, she destroyed her husband, Cael. ap. Quint. 8, 6, 53.

sextans, antis, m. [sex].

A sixth part of an as (v. as):

sextans ab eo quod sexta pars assis, ut quadrans quod quarta et triens quod tertia pars,

Varr. L. L. 5, § 171 Müll.:

heredes in sextante,

Cic. Fam. 13, 29, 4:

ex sextante heres institutus,

Dig. 44, 2, 30; Cod. Th. 9, 42, 8 pr.—

In partic.

As a coin:

extulit eum plebs sextantibus collatis in capita,

Liv. 2, 33 fin.; Plin. 33, 10, 48, § 138; hence, servus sextantis, i. e. of very trifling value, worthless, Laber. ap. Gell. 16, 9, 4.—

In weighing, Plin. 26, 11, 74, § 121; Ov. Med. Fac. 65; Mart. 8, 71, 9; (with pondo) Scrib. Larg. 4; 42 al.—

As a measure of land, the sixth part of a juger, Varr. R. R. 1, 10, 2; Col. 5, 1, 10.—

As a liquid measure, the sixth part of a sextarius, or two cyathi, Col. 12, 23, 1; Mart. 5, 64, 1; Suet. Aug. 77.—

As a lineal measure, Plin. 13, 15, 29, § 94.—

Among mathematicians, the sixth part of the number six, as of the numerus perfectus (v. as), i. e. unity, one, Vitr. 3, 1, 6.