sesterce

English

Etymology

From Latin sēstertius (“two-and-a-half (asses)”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛstɜːs/

Noun

sesterce (plural sesterces)

1. (numismatics, Ancient Rome) A sestertius.
   • 1606, Caius [i.e., Gaius] Suetonius Tranquillus, “The Historie of Caius Iulius Cesar Dictator”, in Philêmon Holland, transl., The Historie of Twelve Cæsars Emperours of Rome. […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes and George Snowdon] for Matthew Lownes, →OCLC, section 38, page 16:

     Among the people (of Rome) beſide x. modij of corne, & as many pints of oyle, he diſtributed & dealt 300 Seſterces alſo by the poll, vvhich hee had in times paſt promiſed, vvith an overdeale of 100. a peece to boote, for time.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 3:

     Nonius the senator hath a purple coat as stiff with jewels as his mind is full of vices; rings on his fingers worth 20,000 sesterces […]

   • 1834, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter II, in The Last Days of Pompeii. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […]; successor to Henry Colburn, →OCLC:

     At every pause in the music she gracefully waved her flower-basket round, inviting the loiterers to buy; and many a sesterce was showered into the basket, either in compliment to the music or in compassion to the songstress—for she was blind.

   • 1985 September 1, Anthony Burgess, The Kingdom of the Wicked, London: Hutchinson & Co., →ISBN:

     For him I must convert one of my sheep or goats to sesterces and slaughter another for his entertainment.

Synonyms

• sestertius

Translations

sestertius — see sestertius

Anagrams

• secretes

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Agen)):

  (file)

Noun

sesterce m (plural sesterces)

1. sestertius (Roman coin)

Further reading

• “sesterce”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.