244
Strabo, XVII. iii. § 15.
245
Appian, Punic Wars, VIII. 130, p. 490.
246
5,820,000 francs [£232,800]. (Appian, Punic Wars, CXXVII. 486.) Following the labours of MM. Letronne, Böckh, Mommsen, &c., we have admitted for the sums indicated in the course of the present work the following reckonings: —
The as of copper = 1/10 deniers = 5 centimes.
The sestertius = 0.975 grammes = 19 centimes.
The denarius = 3.898 grammes = 75 centimes.
The great sestertius = 100,000 sestertii = 19,000 francs [£760].
The Attic or Euboic talent, of 26 kilogrammes, 196 grammes = 5,821 francs [£232 16s.].
The mina, of 436 grammes = 97 francs.
The drachma, of 4.37 grammes = 97 centimes.
The obolus, of 0.73 grammes = 16 centimes.
The Æginetic talent was equivalent to 8,500 Attic drachmas (37 kilogrammes, 2 gr.) = 8,270 francs [£330 16s.]. The Babylonic silver talent is of 33 kilogrammes, 42 = 7,426 francs [£297]. (See, for details, Mommsen, Römisches Münzwesen, pp. 24-26, 55. Hultsch, Griechische und Römische Metrologie, pp. 135-137.)
247
Nearly 700,000 francs [£28,000]. (Athenæus, XII. lviii. 509, ed. Schweighæuser.)
248
Strabo, XVII. iii. § 15.
249
Scylax of Caryanda, Periplus, p. 51 et seq., ed. Hudson.
250
See the work of Heeren, Ideen über die Politik, den Verkehr, und den Handel der vornehmsten Völker der alten Welt, Part I., Vol. II., secs. v. and vi., p. 163 et seq., 188 et seq. 3rd edit.
251
Athenæus informs us that Polemon had composed an entire treatise on the mantles of the divinities of Carthage. (XII. lviii. 541.)
252
Herodotus, VII. 145. – Polybius, I. 67. – Titus Livius, XXVIII. 41.
253
Reckoning, after Titus Livius, her troops at the time of the second Punic War, we find a force of 291,000 foot and 9,500 horse. (Titus Livius, Books XXI. to XXIX.)
254
Carthage, under certain circumstances, could make daily a hundred and forty shields, three hundred swords, five hundred lances, and a thousand darts for catapults. (Strabo, XVII. iii. § 15.)
255
Strabo, XVII. iii. § 15.
256
In 513, 3,200 Euboic talents (18,627,200 francs [£745,088]); in 516, 1,200 talents (6,985,200 francs [£279,408]); in 552, 10,000 talents (58,210,000 francs [£2,328,400]). Scipio, the first Africanus, brought, besides this, 123,000 pounds weight of gold from this town. (Polybius, I. 62, 63, 88; XV. 18. – Titus Livius, XXX. 37, 45.)
257
Aristotle, Politics, VII. iii. § 5. – Polybius, I. 72.
258
Diodorus Siculus, XX. 17.
259
Pliny, Natural History, V. iii. 24.
260
Scylax of Caryanda, Periplus, p. 49. edit. Hudson.
261
Polybius, XII. 3.
262
Titus Livius, XXXIV. 62.
263
58,200 francs (£2,328). (Titus Livius, XXII. 31.)
264