τάλαντον: Difference between revisions

|Definition=τό,<br><span class="bld">A</span> [[balance]], Ζεὺς.. τὸ τάλαντον 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 plural, [[pair of scales]], ἔχον ὥς τε τάλαντα γυνή... ἥ τε σταθμὸν ἔχουσα καὶ εἴριον ἀμφὶς ἀνέλκει ἰσάζουσα Il.12.433; especially of the [[scales]] in which Zeus weighed the fortunes of men, <b class="b3">χρύσεια πατὴρ ἐτίταινε τάλαντα</b> 8.69, 22.209; <b class="b3">γνῶ γὰρ Διὸς ἱρὰ τάλαντα</b> 16.658; <b class="b3">ἐπὴν κλίνῃσι τάλαντα Ζεύς</b>, i.e. when he decides the [[issue]] of [[battle]], 19.223; τάλαντα βρίσας οὐκ ἰσορρόπῳ τύχῃ A.''Pers.''346; of the [[scales]] of [[justice]], δίκης κατέκειτο τάλαντα ''h.Merc.''324, cf. ''AP''6.267.4 (Diotim.): so in sg., δίκας ῥέπει τάλαντον B.17.25.<br><span class="bld">2</span> [[tax]] paid for the [[use]] of the [[public]] [[scale]]s, ''SIG'' 4.7 (Cyzicus, vi B.C.).<br><span class="bld">II</span> anything [[weigh]]ed,<br><span class="bld">1</span> a [[definite]] [[weight]], [[talent]], in Hom. always of [[gold]], δέκα χρυσοῖς τάλαντα Il.9.122; <b class="b3">δύω χρ. τ.</b> 18.507; <b class="b3">δέκα πάντα τάλαντα</b> [[ten]] in [[all]], 19.247, 24.232; <b class="b3">χρυσοῦ.. εὐεργέος ἑπτὰ τάλαντα</b> 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.<br><span class="bld">2</span> 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; <b class="b3">τοῖσι μὲν</b> (of the subjects of [[Darius]]) <b class="b3">ἀργύριον ἀπαγινέουσι εἴρητο Βαβυλώνιον σταθμὸν τάλαντον ἀπαγινέειν, τοῖσι δὲ χρυσίον ἀπαγινέουσι Εὐβοϊκόν· τὸ δὲ Βαβυλώνιον τάλαντον δύναται Εὐβοΐδας</b> (<b class="b3">ὀκτὼ καὶ</b> add. Reiz) ἑβδομήκοντα μνέας [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]3.89; <b class="b3">τάλαντον Ἀττικόν, τάλαντον Αἰγιναῖον</b>, etc., Poll.9.86; ἐποίησε [ὁ Σόλων] σταθμὰ πρὸς τὸ νόμισμα τρεῖς καὶ ἑξήκοντα μνᾶς τὸ τάλαντον ἀγούσας Arist.''Ath.''10.2.<br><span class="bld">a</span> of [[money]], τάλαντον ἀργυρίου [[Herodotus|Hdt.]]7.28, cf. X.''HG''3.5.1, etc.; χίλια τάλαντα νομίσματος Aeschin.2.174; <b class="b3">μνᾶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ταλάντου</b> ''IG''12.220.7, cf. 92.37, al.<br><span class="bld">b</span> of weight, <b class="b3">τὸ τάλαντον τὸ ἐμπορικόν</b> ib.22.1013.35; used in [[weigh]]ing [[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.