sestertius

English

Etymology

From Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”), from sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), in which “third” refers to the third as: the sestertius was worth two full asses and half of a third.

Noun

sestertius (plural sestertii)

  1. (historical numismatics) A large bronze or (rarely) small silver coin minted during the Roman Republic and Empire, valued at two and a half asses (a quarter of a denarius).
    Synonym: sesterce

Translations

Finnish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsestertius/, [ˈs̠e̞s̠te̞rˌt̪ius̠]
  • Rhymes: -ius
  • Syllabification(key): ses‧ter‧ti‧us
  • Hyphenation(key): ses‧ter‧ti‧us

Noun

sestertius

  1. (historical, numismatics) sestertius

Declension

Inflection of sestertius (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative sestertius sestertiukset
genitive sestertiuksen sestertiusten
sestertiuksien
partitive sestertiusta sestertiuksia
illative sestertiukseen sestertiuksiin
singular plural
nominative sestertius sestertiukset
accusative nom. sestertius sestertiukset
gen. sestertiuksen
genitive sestertiuksen sestertiusten
sestertiuksien
partitive sestertiusta sestertiuksia
inessive sestertiuksessa sestertiuksissa
elative sestertiuksesta sestertiuksista
illative sestertiukseen sestertiuksiin
adessive sestertiuksella sestertiuksilla
ablative sestertiukselta sestertiuksilta
allative sestertiukselle sestertiuksille
essive sestertiuksena sestertiuksina
translative sestertiukseksi sestertiuksiksi
abessive sestertiuksetta sestertiuksitta
instructive — sestertiuksin
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of sestertius (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative sestertiukseni sestertiukseni
accusative nom. sestertiukseni sestertiukseni
gen. sestertiukseni
genitive sestertiukseni sestertiusteni
sestertiuksieni
partitive sestertiustani sestertiuksiani
inessive sestertiuksessani sestertiuksissani
elative sestertiuksestani sestertiuksistani
illative sestertiukseeni sestertiuksiini
adessive sestertiuksellani sestertiuksillani
ablative sestertiukseltani sestertiuksiltani
allative sestertiukselleni sestertiuksilleni
essive sestertiuksenani sestertiuksinani
translative sestertiuksekseni sestertiuksikseni
abessive sestertiuksettani sestertiuksittani
instructive — —
comitative — sestertiuksineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative sestertiuksesi sestertiuksesi
accusative nom. sestertiuksesi sestertiuksesi
gen. sestertiuksesi
genitive sestertiuksesi sestertiustesi
sestertiuksiesi
partitive sestertiustasi sestertiuksiasi
inessive sestertiuksessasi sestertiuksissasi
elative sestertiuksestasi sestertiuksistasi
illative sestertiukseesi sestertiuksiisi
adessive sestertiuksellasi sestertiuksillasi
ablative sestertiukseltasi sestertiuksiltasi
allative sestertiuksellesi sestertiuksillesi
essive sestertiuksenasi sestertiuksinasi
translative sestertiukseksesi sestertiuksiksesi
abessive sestertiuksettasi sestertiuksittasi
instructive — —
comitative — sestertiuksinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative sestertiuksemme sestertiuksemme
accusative nom. sestertiuksemme sestertiuksemme
gen. sestertiuksemme
genitive sestertiuksemme sestertiustemme
sestertiuksiemme
partitive sestertiustamme sestertiuksiamme
inessive sestertiuksessamme sestertiuksissamme
elative sestertiuksestamme sestertiuksistamme
illative sestertiukseemme sestertiuksiimme
adessive sestertiuksellamme sestertiuksillamme
ablative sestertiukseltamme sestertiuksiltamme
allative sestertiuksellemme sestertiuksillemme
essive sestertiuksenamme sestertiuksinamme
translative sestertiukseksemme sestertiuksiksemme
abessive sestertiuksettamme sestertiuksittamme
instructive — —
comitative — sestertiuksinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative sestertiuksenne sestertiuksenne
accusative nom. sestertiuksenne sestertiuksenne
gen. sestertiuksenne
genitive sestertiuksenne sestertiustenne
sestertiuksienne
partitive sestertiustanne sestertiuksianne
inessive sestertiuksessanne sestertiuksissanne
elative sestertiuksestanne sestertiuksistanne
illative sestertiukseenne sestertiuksiinne
adessive sestertiuksellanne sestertiuksillanne
ablative sestertiukseltanne sestertiuksiltanne
allative sestertiuksellenne sestertiuksillenne
essive sestertiuksenanne sestertiuksinanne
translative sestertiukseksenne sestertiuksiksenne
abessive sestertiuksettanne sestertiuksittanne
instructive — —
comitative — sestertiuksinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative sestertiuksensa sestertiuksensa
accusative nom. sestertiuksensa sestertiuksensa
gen. sestertiuksensa
genitive sestertiuksensa sestertiustensa
sestertiuksiensa
partitive sestertiustaan
sestertiustansa 		sestertiuksiaan
sestertiuksiansa
inessive sestertiuksessaan
sestertiuksessansa 		sestertiuksissaan
sestertiuksissansa
elative sestertiuksestaan
sestertiuksestansa 		sestertiuksistaan
sestertiuksistansa
illative sestertiukseensa sestertiuksiinsa
adessive sestertiuksellaan
sestertiuksellansa 		sestertiuksillaan
sestertiuksillansa
ablative sestertiukseltaan
sestertiukseltansa 		sestertiuksiltaan
sestertiuksiltansa
allative sestertiukselleen
sestertiuksellensa 		sestertiuksilleen
sestertiuksillensa
essive sestertiuksenaan
sestertiuksenansa 		sestertiuksinaan
sestertiuksinansa
translative sestertiuksekseen
sestertiukseksensa 		sestertiuksikseen
sestertiuksiksensa
abessive sestertiuksettaan
sestertiuksettansa 		sestertiuksittaan
sestertiuksittansa
instructive — —
comitative — sestertiuksineen
sestertiuksinensa

Latin

Alternative forms

  • HS (symbol)

Etymology

From sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), due to its value in asses.

Pronunciation

Noun

sēstertius m (genitive sēstertiī or sēstertī); second declension

  1. sesterce (small coin worth 2 and a half asses, later 4 asses)
  2. two and a half (only in certain phrases)

Usage notes

Four sesterces were equal to one denarius, and a hundred sesterces to one aureus. Although there were larger coins in the empire, many large prices were calculated in sesterces instead.

When a distributive numeral is used in front of the neuter plural sēstertia, it is read as that many thousands of sesterces. When a numeral adverb (e.g. deciens) is used in front of the genitive plural sēstertium, it is read as that many hundred thousands of sesterces.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

singular plural
nominative sēstertius sēstertiī
genitive sēstertiī
sēstertī1 		sēstertiōrum
sēstertium
dative sēstertiō sēstertiīs
accusative sēstertium sēstertiōs
ablative sēstertiō sēstertiīs
vocative sēstertie sēstertiī

1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Synonyms

Descendants

  • → Catalan: sesterci m
  • → English: sesterce
  • → French: sesterce m
  • → Italian: sesterzio m
  • → Portuguese: sestércio m
  • → Spanish: sestercio m

Feminine variant:

  • ⇒ Bulgarian: сестерция f (sestercija)
  • ⇒ Dutch: sestertie f
  • ⇒ German: Sesterze f
  • ⇒ Polish: sestercja f

Modern borrowings:

References

  • “sestertius”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “sestertius”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • sestertius in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • “sestertius”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • “sestertius”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
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