Attic mina, Italian litra, and the wine amphora
One must use the Attic, then, toward weight and coin, since it is equal in power and equal in weight to the Italian which is called a denarius; for in general many now use the Italian. The Attic mina has 25 staters; the Italian litra is of 24 staters. Of the remaining minas there are myriad differences, and nothing of them is necessary for us to set out now.
The litra makes 12 ounces, and the ounce 8 drachmas; the drachma is of 3 grammata; the gramma has 2 obols; again the gramma 3 lupines, the lupine 2 keratia, so that the litra is of 1728 keratia. The denarius also is divided, from surplus, according to the Romans into 152 parts: for it has two tropaika, four nummi, 10 assaria; and the nummus has an ounce in weight. The assarion is divided into a half and a third and a fourth and a sixth and an eighth and a ninth, a tenth, a twelfth, a sixteenth, a twenty-fourth, a thirty-sixth, a forty-eighth, a seventy-second; and these parts have their own namings among the Roman accountants.
The amphora of wine, which most also call a metretes, has 2 hemiamphoria, which they call kadoi by a common name, and the Romans urnae; it has 4 prouchoi, eight choes which they call congiia, and we kaboi. The chous can blank xestai (and the Egyptians call the xestes a hinion), so that the amphora is of 48 xestai. The Antiochene metretes is double the Italian. The xestes, then, is divided by two kotylai, which we call heminai; the kotyle is divided into two oxybapha; the oxybaphon is portioned into three kyathoi; and the kyathos makes 4 mystra, which they have often called listria; and a spoon is half of the mystron; and the xestes, then, is dissolved into blank spoons.
And the oily measures similarly, except that they have their beginning from the so-called kentenarion, which has 100 litrai. And the oily metretes is double this; the remaining measures agree: for the ratio the litra has in weight toward the mina, the same the measured litra has toward the kotyle or the half-xestes. The Attic medimnos can blank Italian modii, and the modius is called a hekteus. The modius has two hemiekta; the hemiekton has 4 choinikes; the choinix has two xestai, so that the modius is of 10 xestai. And the remaining measures of the dry, similarly to the liquids already said.
Greek
Τῇ οὖν Ἀττικῇ χρηστέον πρὸς σταθμὸν καὶ νόμισμα, ἐπείπερ ἰσοδύναμός ἐστιν καὶ ἰσοστάσιος τῇ Ἰταλικῇ ἣ καλεῖται «δηνάριον», ὡς γὰρ ἐπίπαν τοῖς Ἰταλικοῖς νῦν χρῶνται πολλοί. Ἡ Ἀττικὴ μνᾶ στατῆρας ἔχει κεʹ· ἡ δὲ Ἰταλικὴ λίτρα στατήρων ἐστὶ κδʹ· τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν μνῶν μυρίαι διαφοραὶ καὶ οὐδέν τι ἡμῖν ἀναγκαῖαι νῦν ἐκτεθῆναι. Ἡ δὲ λίτρα ποιεῖ ˉγˉο ιβʹ καὶ ἡ ˉγˉο δραχμὰς ηʹ· ἡ δὲ δραχμὴ γραμμάτων ἐστὶν γʹ· τὸ δὲ γράμμα ὀβολοὺς ἔχει βʹ· πάλιν τὸ γράμμα θέρμους γʹ, ὁ θέρμος κεράτια βʹ, ὡς εἶναι τὴν λίτραν κερατίων αψκηʹ. ∆ιαιρεῖται δὲ ἐκ περιουσίας καὶ τὸ δηνάριον κατὰ Ῥωμαίους εἰς μέρη αρνβʹ· ἔχει γὰρ τροπαϊκὰ δύο, νούμους τέσσαρας, ἀσσάρια ι ʹ· ὁ δὲ νοῦμος ἔχει ὀγκίαν τῷ σταθμῷ. Τὸ ἀσσάριον διαιρεῖται εἰς ἥμυσυ καὶ τρίτον καὶ τέταρτον καὶ ἕκτον καὶ ὄγδοον καὶ ἔνατον, δέκατον, δωδέκατον, ἑξκαιδέκατον, εἰκοστοτέταρτον, τριακοστόεκτον, τεσσαρακοστοόγδοον, ἑβδομηκοστοδεύτερον· τὰ δὲ μέρη ταῦτα ἰδίας ὀνομασίας ἔχει παρὰ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις λογιστικοῖς. Ὁ τοῦ οἴνου ἀμφορεὺς ὃν καὶ «μετρητὴν» λέγουσιν οἱ πολλοὶ ἡμιαμφόρια μὲν ἔχει βʹ ἃ καλοῦσιν «κάδους» ὀνόματι κοινῷ Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ «οὔρνας», προύχους δὲ ἔχει δʹ, χόας ὀκτὼ οὓς δὴ «κογγία» λέγουσιν «κάβους» δὲ ἡμεῖς· ὁ δὲ χοῦς δύναται ξέστας ʹ (τὸν δὲ ξέστην «ἵνιον» καλοῦσιν Αἰγύπτιοι), ὡς τὸν ἀμφορέα εἶναι ξεστῶν μηʹ. Ὁ δὲ Ἀντιοχικὸς μετρητὴς τοῦ Ἰταλικοῦ διπλάσιον. Ὁ οὖν ξέστης διαιρεῖται κοτύλαις δυσὶν ἃς «ἡμίνας» καλοῦμεν, ἡ κοτύλη διαιρεῖται εἰς ὀξύβαφα δύο, τὸ δὲ ὀξύβαφον εἰς κυάθους μερίζεται τρεῖς καὶ ὁ κύαθος δὲ ποιεῖ μύστρα δʹ ἃ δὴ «λίστρια» πολλάκις ἐκάλεσαν, κοχλιάριον δέ ἐστιν τοῦ μύστρου τὸ ἥμυσυ· καὶ ὁ ξέστης ἄρα εἰς κοχλιάρια ἀναλύεται ʹ. Καὶ τὰ ἐλαιηρὰ παραπλησίως, πλὴν ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ καλουμένου «κεντηναρίου» τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει ὃ δὴ λίτρας ἔχει ρʹ. Ἔστιν δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐλαιηρὸς μετρητὴς τοῦδε διπλάσιον· τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ μέτρα συνᾴδει· ὃν γὰρ λόγον ἔχει ἡ λίτρα τὸν σταθμὸν πρὸς τὴν μνᾶν, τὸν αὐτὸν ἡ μετρητὴ λίτρα πρὸς τὴν κοτύλην ἢ τὸ ἡμίξεστον. Ὁ Ἀττικὸς δὲ μέδιμνος Ἰταλικοὺς δύναται μοδίους ʹ, καλεῖται δὲ ὁ μόδιος «ἑκτεύς». Ὁ μόδιος ἔχει ἡμίεκτα δύο, τὸ ἡμίεκτον ἔχει χοίνικας δʹ, ἡ χοῖνιξ δὲ ἔχει δύο ξέστας, ὡς τὸν μόδιον εἶναι ξεστῶν ι ʹ. Καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ δὲ μέτρα τῶν ξηρῶν ὁμοίως τοῖς προειρημένοις ὑγροῖς.
About this text
Julius Africanus, Cesti (Embroidered Girdles): a miscellany of history, science, and craft, in the surviving fragments — books 7, 2, and 3 in full, with parts of books 4, 8, 9, and 13, and the colophon of Cestus 18. The older English translates his letters only. The book-2 table of contents and a book-7 appendix are not in this volume.
New English from locked PG 10 / Khazarzar Greek of the Cesti fragmenta through 9.5. Earlier lemma-led scaffold English was discarded. Book-2 pinax and book-7 appendix held. This lock is exhausted.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 10 Cesti fragmenta (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.