argentum, i, n. [ἀργήεις, ἀργής, Dor. ἀργᾶς, white, like Tarentum, from Τάρας, Doed. Syn. III. p. 193; prop. white metal; cf. Sanscr. arǵunas = bright; raǵatam = silver; hence],
I silver , whose mineralogical description is found in Plin. 33, 6, 31, § 95.
I.A Lit.: argenti metalla, Plin. 33, 6, 33, § 101: argenti aerisque metalla, Vulg. Exod. 35, 24: argenti vena, Plin. 33, 6, 31, § 95: argenti fodina, v. argenti-fodina; argenti scoria, id. 3, 6, 5, § 105: spuma argenti, id. 33, 6, 35, § 106: argenti duae differentiae (sunt), id. 33, 10, 44, § 127: argentum candidum, rufum, nigrum, id. ib.: argentum infectum, unwrought silver , Liv. 26, 47; Dig. 34, 2, 19: argenti montes, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 73: argentum purum, Foedus ap. Gell. 6, 5: argento circumcludere cornua, Caes. B. G. 6, 28: Concisum argentum in titulos faciesque minutas, Juv. 14, 291: quod usquam est Auri atque argenti, id. 8, 123: argentum et aurum, Tac. G. 5; id. A. 2, 60, id. H. 4, 53; Vulg. Gen. 24, 35: aurum argentumque, Tac. H. 2. 82: aurum et argentum, Vulg. Gen. 13, 2.—
B Meton.
1 Wrought silver , things made of silver; silver-plate , silver-work : tu argentum eluito, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 29: nec domus argento fulget auroque renidet, Lucr. 2, 27; so, ridet argento domus, Hor. C. 4, 11, 6: argenti quod erat solis fulgebat in armis, Juv. 11, 109: argentumque expositum in aedibus, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 15: navis plena argenti facti atque signati, full of wrought and stamped silver , id. ib. 2, 5, 25; so Liv. 34, 25 and 26: argentum caelatum, Cic. Verr. 4, 23, 52; id. Tusc. 5, 21, 61: apponitur cena in argento puro et antiquo, Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 9: argentum et marmor vetus aeraque et artīs Suspice, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 17; so id. ib. 1, 16, 76; 2, 2, 181; id. S. 1, 4, 28: argenti vascula puri, Juv. 9, 141; 10, 19: vasa omnia ex argento, Vulg. Num. 7, 85; ib. Act. 17, 29: leve argentum, Juv. 14, 62: argentum paternum, id. 6, 355: argentum vetus, id. 1, 76: argentum mittere, id. 12, 43: Empturus pueros, argentum, murrina, villas, id. 7, 133 et saep.—
2 Silver as weighed out for money , or money coined from silver , silver , silver money; and, as the most current coin, for money in gen.: appendit pecuniam, quadringentos siclos argenti, Vulg. Gen. 23, 16: Ratio quidem hercle adparet; argentum οἴχεται, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 15 sq. (quoted by Cic., Pis. 25 fin. ): expetere, id. Cist. 4, 2, 73: adnumerare, Ter. Ad. 369; so id. Heaut. 737; id. Ad. 410; 628; 977: argenti sitis famesque, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 23; id. S. 1, 1, 86: quis audet Argento praeferre caput, Juv. 12, 49: tenue argentum venaeque secundae, id. 9, 31: hic modium argenti, id. 3, 220: venter Argenti gravis capax, id. 11, 41: Argentum et aurum non est mihi, Vulg. Act. 3, 6; 20, 35 et saep.—
II Argentum vivum, quicksilver , Plin. 33, 6, 32, § 100; Vitr. 7, 8, 1 sqq.; so, argentum liquidum, Isid. Orig. 16, 19, 2.