sesterce

A Roman merchant counts out several sesterces to pay for goods.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Ancient Roman coin: A "sesterce" (also known as a sestertius) was a silver or later bronze coin used in ancient Rome, originally valued at two and a half asses (the basic Roman monetary unit). It was a common denomination for everyday transactions and official accounting.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The merchant paid one sesterce for a loaf of bread in the Roman marketplace. (An ancient coin used for buying goods.)
  • Historians study the sesterce to understand Roman economic history. (A coin used as evidence of trade and value.)

Advanced Usage

• "Sesterce as a unit of account": In Roman financial records, large sums were often expressed in sesterces rather than smaller coins.
  • The emperor's annual tribute was calculated in millions of sesterces. (A unit for measuring large monetary amounts.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sestertius (n): the Latin name for the same coin, often used interchangeably with "sesterce" in historical texts.
  • The sestertius was minted in brass under Emperor Augustus. (The Latin term for the coin.)

Synonyms

• As: a smaller Roman coin, equivalent to one-fourth of a sesterce.
• Denarius: a more valuable silver Roman coin, worth four sesterces.

Related Idioms

• "Not worth a sesterce": an expression meaning something is of very little value.
  • His promise is not worth a sesterce. (His promise is worthless.)

Historical Context

• The sesterce was widely used from the 3rd century BCE until the 3rd century CE, after which it was replaced by other denominations. Its name derives from the Latin (half-third), referring to its original value of two and a half asses.