sestertius

sēstertius or HS (i. e. II semis), adj.num.

for * semis-tertius, two and a half .—As subst m . (sc. nummus; gen plur . sestertiūm), a sesterce (a small silver coin, originally two and a half asses, worth twopence and half a farthing sterling, or four and one tenth cents): cum esset tritici modius sestertiis duobus: cum HS XXX scripta essent pro HS CCC: praedia pluris sestertiūm XXX milium habere, L.—Plur n . as subst., with ellipse of milia, thousands of sesterces .—Usu. with num distr. : fundus, qui sestertia dena meritasset: HS quingena (i. e. quindecim milia sestertiūm).— Rarely with num card. : sestertia centum, S.: septem donat sestertia, H.—With ellipse of centena milia : HS quater deciens (i. e. sestertiūm quater deciens centena milia, or 1,400,000 sesterces).—For the phrase, centena milia sestertiūm, the word sestertium was commonly used, and declined as subst n ., with the numeral adverbs from deciens upward: quom ei testamento sestertium milies relinquatur: sestertium centiens et octogiens: HS LX, quod advexerat Domitius, Cs.: sestertium deciens numeratum esse: argenti ad summam sestertii deciens in aerarium rettulit, L.: in sestertio centiens adfluentius vivere, N.—With nummus , in abl.of price, at an insignificant sum, for a trifle : bona nummo sestertio sibi addici velle: si amplius HS nummo petisti.