τάλαντον: Difference between revisions

|Definition=τό, <span class="sense"><span class="bld">A</span> [[balance]], Ζεὺς . . τὸ τάλαντον ἐπιρρέπει ἄλλοτε ἄλλως <span class="bibl">Thgn.157</span>; ζυγὸν ταλάντου <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Supp.</span>823</span> (lyr.); ταλάντῳ μουσικὴ σταθμήσεται <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ra.</span>797</span>: 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 <span class="bibl">Il.12.433</span>; esp. of the [[scales]] in which Zeus weighed the fortunes of men, <b class="b3">χρύσεια πατὴρ ἐτίταινε τάλαντα</b> <span class="bibl">8.69</span>, <span class="bibl">22.209</span>; <b class="b3">γνῶ γὰρ Διὸς ἱρὰ τάλαντα</b> <span class="bibl">16.658</span>; <b class="b3">ἐπὴν κλίνῃσι τάλαντα Ζεύς</b>, i.e. when he decides the [[issue]] of [[battle]], <span class="bibl">19.223</span>; τάλαντα βρίσας οὐκ ἰσορρόπῳ τύχῃ <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Pers.</span>346</span>; of the [[scales]] of [[justice]], δίκης κατέκειτο τάλαντα <span class="bibl"><span class="title">h.Merc.</span>324</span>, cf. <span class="title">AP</span>6.267.4 (Diotim.): so in sg., δίκας ῥέπει τάλαντον <span class="bibl">B.17.25</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">2</span> [[tax]] paid for the [[use]] of the [[public]] [[scale]]s, <span class="title">SIG</span> 4.7 (Cyzicus, vi B.C.). </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">II</span> anything [[weigh]]ed, </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">1</span> a [[definite]] [[weight]], [[talent]], in Hom. always of [[gold]], δέκα χρυσοῖς τάλαντα <span class="bibl">Il.9.122</span>; <b class="b3">δύω χρ. τ</b>. <span class="bibl">18.507</span>; <b class="b3">δέκα πάντα τάλαντα</b> [[ten]] in [[all]], <span class="bibl">19.247</span>, <span class="bibl">24.232</span>; <b class="b3">χρυσοῦ . . εὐεργέος ἑπτὰ τάλαντα</b> <span class="bibl">Od.9.202</span>; χρυσοῖο τάλαντον . . τιμήεντος <span class="bibl">8.393</span>: from the order of the prizes in <span class="bibl">Il.23.262</span> sq. and other passages its weight was probably not great, cf. <span class="bibl">Arist.<span class="title">Fr.</span>164</span>. </span><span class="sense"><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 τ. ἀπαγινέειν, τοῖσι δὲ χρυσίον ἀπαγινέουσι Εὐβοϊκόν· τὸ δὲ Βαβυλώνιον τάλαντον δύναται Εὐβοΐδας</b> (<b class="b3">ὀκτὼ καὶ</b> add. Reiz) ἑβδομήκοντα μνέας <span class="bibl">Hdt.3.89</span>; <b class="b3">τάλαντον Ἀττικόν, τάλαντον Αἰγιναῖον</b>, etc., <span class="bibl">Poll.9.86</span>; ἐποίησε [ὁ Σόλων] σταθμὰ πρὸς τὸ νόμισμα τρεῖς καὶ ἑξήκοντα μνᾶς τὸ τάλαντον ἀγούσας <span class="bibl">Arist.<span class="title">Ath.</span>10.2</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">a</span> of [[money]], τάλαντον ἀργυρίου <span class="bibl">Hdt.7.28</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">HG</span>3.5.1</span>, etc.; χίλια τάλαντα νομίσματος <span class="bibl">Aeschin.2.174</span>; <b class="b3">μνᾶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ταλάντου</b> <span class="title">IG</span>12.220.7, cf. 92.37, al. </span><span class="sense"><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.), <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PMich.Zen.</span>9.4</span> (iii B.C.); [[iron]], <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PCair.Zen.</span>144.6</span> (iii B.C.), <span class="bibl"><span class="title">CPHerm.</span>p.77</span> (iii A.D.); cloth, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PMich.Zen.</span>120.8</span> (iii B.C.), etc.</span>