τάλαντον

English (LSJ)

τό,

A balance, Ζεὺς . . τὸ τ. ἐπιρρέπει ἄλλοτε ἄλλως Thgn.157; ζυγὸν ταλάντου A.Supp.823 (lyr.); ταλάντῳ μουσικὴ σταθμήσεται Ar.Ra.797: in this sense used by Hom. only in pl., pair of scales, ἔχον ὥς τε τάλαντα γυνή... ἥ τε σταθμὸν ἔχουσα καὶ εἴριον ἀμφὶς ἀνέλκει ἰσάζουσα Il.12.433; esp. of the scales in which Zeus weighed the fortunes of men, χρύσεια πατὴρ ἐτίταινε τ. 8.69, 22.209; γνῶ γὰρ Διὸς ἱρὰ τ. 16.658; ἐπὴν κλίνῃσι τ. Ζεύς, i.e. when he decides the issue of battle, 19.223; τ. βρίσας οὐκ ἰσορρόπῳ τύχῃ A.Pers.346; of the scales of justice, δίκης κατέκειτο τάλαντα h.Merc.324, cf. AP6.267.4 (Diotim.): so in sg., δίκας ῥέπει τάλαντον B.17.25. 2 tax paid for the use of the public scales, SIG 4.7 (Cyzicus, vi B.C.). II anything weighed, 1 a definite weight, talent, in Hom. always of gold, δέκα χρυσοῖς τάλαντα Il.9.122; δύω χρ. τ. 18.507; δέκα πάντα τ. ten in all, 19.247, 24.232; χρυσοῦ . . εὐεργέος ἑπτὰ τ. Od.9.202; χρυσοῖο τάλαντον . . τιμήεντος 8.393: from the order of the prizes in Il.23.262 sq. and other passages its weight was probably not great, cf. Arist.Fr.164. 2 in post-Hom. writers, the τάλαντον was both a commercial weight (differing in different systems), and also the sum of money represented by the corresponding weight of gold or silver; τοῖσι μὲν (of the subjects of Darius) ἀργύριον ἀπαγινέουσι εἴρητο Βαβυλώνιον σταθμὸν τ. ἀπαγινέειν, τοῖσι δὲ χρυσίον ἀπαγινέουσι Εὐβοϊκόν· τὸ δὲ Βαβυλώνιον τ. δύναται Εὐβοΐδας (ὀκτὼ καὶ add. Reiz) ἑβδομήκοντα μνέας Hdt.3.89; τ. Ἀττικόν, Αἰγιναῖον, etc., Poll.9.86; ἐποίησε [ὁ Σόλων] σταθμὰ πρὸς τὸ νόμισμα τρεῖς καὶ ἑξήκοντα μνᾶς τὸ τ. ἀγούσας Arist.Ath.10.2. a of money, τ. ἀργυρίου Hdt.7.28, cf. X.HG3.5.1, etc.; χίλια τ. νομίσματος Aeschin.2.174; μνᾶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τ. IG12.220.7, cf. 92.37, al. b of weight, τὸ τ. τὸ ἐμπορικόν ib.22.1013.35; used in weighing lead, ib.12.374.287, 42(1).103.131 (Epid., iv B.C.), PMich.Zen.9.4 (iii B.C.); iron, PCair.Zen.144.6 (iii B.C.), CPHerm.p.77 (iii A.D.); cloth, PMich.Zen.120.8 (iii B.C.), etc.