sestertius

English

Etymology

From Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”), from sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), in which "third" refers to the third as: the sestertius was worth two full asses and half of a third.

Noun

sestertius (plural sestertii)

1. (historical numismatics) A large bronze or (rarely) small silver coin minted during the Roman Republic and Empire, valued at two and a half asses (a quarter of a denarius).

   Synonym: sesterce

Translations

Roman coin

• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: сестерция f (sestercija)
• Catalan: sesterci m
• Dutch: sestertie (nl) f
• Esperanto: sesterco
• Finnish: sestertius
• French: sesterce (fr) m
• German: Sesterz m, Sesterze f
• Italian: sesterzio (it) m
• Japanese: セステルティウス (sesuterutiusu)
• Latin: sēstertius m
• Polish: sestercja f
• Portuguese: sestércio (pt) m
• Russian: сестерций (ru) m (sestercij)
• Spanish: sestercio (es) m

Finnish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsestertius/, [ˈs̠e̞s̠te̞rˌt̪ius̠]
• Rhymes: -ius
• Syllabification^(key): ses‧ter‧ti‧us

Noun

sestertius

1. (historical, numismatics) sestertius

Declension

Inflection of sestertius (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative		sestertius	sestertiukset
genitive		sestertiuksen	sestertiusten sestertiuksien
partitive		sestertiusta	sestertiuksia
illative		sestertiukseen	sestertiuksiin
		singular	plural
nominative		sestertius	sestertiukset
accusative	nom.	sestertius	sestertiukset
	gen.	sestertiuksen
genitive		sestertiuksen	sestertiusten sestertiuksien
partitive		sestertiusta	sestertiuksia
inessive		sestertiuksessa	sestertiuksissa
elative		sestertiuksesta	sestertiuksista
illative		sestertiukseen	sestertiuksiin
adessive		sestertiuksella	sestertiuksilla
ablative		sestertiukselta	sestertiuksilta
allative		sestertiukselle	sestertiuksille
essive		sestertiuksena	sestertiuksina
translative		sestertiukseksi	sestertiuksiksi
abessive		sestertiuksetta	sestertiuksitta
instructive		—	sestertiuksin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of sestertius (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sestertiukseni sestertiukseni accusative nom. sestertiukseni sestertiukseni gen. sestertiukseni genitive sestertiukseni sestertiusteni sestertiuksieni partitive sestertiustani sestertiuksiani inessive sestertiuksessani sestertiuksissani elative sestertiuksestani sestertiuksistani illative sestertiukseeni sestertiuksiini adessive sestertiuksellani sestertiuksillani ablative sestertiukseltani sestertiuksiltani allative sestertiukselleni sestertiuksilleni essive sestertiuksenani sestertiuksinani translative sestertiuksekseni sestertiuksikseni abessive sestertiuksettani sestertiuksittani instructive — — comitative — sestertiuksineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sestertiuksesi sestertiuksesi accusative nom. sestertiuksesi sestertiuksesi gen. sestertiuksesi genitive sestertiuksesi sestertiustesi sestertiuksiesi partitive sestertiustasi sestertiuksiasi inessive sestertiuksessasi sestertiuksissasi elative sestertiuksestasi sestertiuksistasi illative sestertiukseesi sestertiuksiisi adessive sestertiuksellasi sestertiuksillasi ablative sestertiukseltasi sestertiuksiltasi allative sestertiuksellesi sestertiuksillesi essive sestertiuksenasi sestertiuksinasi translative sestertiukseksesi sestertiuksiksesi abessive sestertiuksettasi sestertiuksittasi instructive — — comitative — sestertiuksinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sestertiuksemme sestertiuksemme accusative nom. sestertiuksemme sestertiuksemme gen. sestertiuksemme genitive sestertiuksemme sestertiustemme sestertiuksiemme partitive sestertiustamme sestertiuksiamme inessive sestertiuksessamme sestertiuksissamme elative sestertiuksestamme sestertiuksistamme illative sestertiukseemme sestertiuksiimme adessive sestertiuksellamme sestertiuksillamme ablative sestertiukseltamme sestertiuksiltamme allative sestertiuksellemme sestertiuksillemme essive sestertiuksenamme sestertiuksinamme translative sestertiukseksemme sestertiuksiksemme abessive sestertiuksettamme sestertiuksittamme instructive — — comitative — sestertiuksinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sestertiuksenne sestertiuksenne accusative nom. sestertiuksenne sestertiuksenne gen. sestertiuksenne genitive sestertiuksenne sestertiustenne sestertiuksienne partitive sestertiustanne sestertiuksianne inessive sestertiuksessanne sestertiuksissanne elative sestertiuksestanne sestertiuksistanne illative sestertiukseenne sestertiuksiinne adessive sestertiuksellanne sestertiuksillanne ablative sestertiukseltanne sestertiuksiltanne allative sestertiuksellenne sestertiuksillenne essive sestertiuksenanne sestertiuksinanne translative sestertiukseksenne sestertiuksiksenne abessive sestertiuksettanne sestertiuksittanne instructive — — comitative — sestertiuksinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative sestertiuksensa sestertiuksensa accusative nom. sestertiuksensa sestertiuksensa gen. sestertiuksensa genitive sestertiuksensa sestertiustensa sestertiuksiensa partitive sestertiustaan sestertiustansa sestertiuksiaan sestertiuksiansa inessive sestertiuksessaan sestertiuksessansa sestertiuksissaan sestertiuksissansa elative sestertiuksestaan sestertiuksestansa sestertiuksistaan sestertiuksistansa illative sestertiukseensa sestertiuksiinsa adessive sestertiuksellaan sestertiuksellansa sestertiuksillaan sestertiuksillansa ablative sestertiukseltaan sestertiukseltansa sestertiuksiltaan sestertiuksiltansa allative sestertiukselleen sestertiuksellensa sestertiuksilleen sestertiuksillensa essive sestertiuksenaan sestertiuksenansa sestertiuksinaan sestertiuksinansa translative sestertiuksekseen sestertiukseksensa sestertiuksikseen sestertiuksiksensa abessive sestertiuksettaan sestertiuksettansa sestertiuksittaan sestertiuksittansa instructive — — comitative — sestertiuksineen sestertiuksinensa

Latin

Alternative forms

• HS (symbol)

Etymology

From sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), due to its value in asses.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /seːsˈter.ti.us/, [s̠eːs̠ˈt̪ɛrt̪iʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /sesˈter.t͡si.us/, [sesˈt̪ɛrt̪͡s̪ius]

Noun

sēstertius m (genitive sēstertiī or sēstertī); second declension

1. sesterce (small coin worth 2 and a half asses, later 4 asses)
2. two and a half (only in certain phrases)

Usage notes

Four sesterces were equal to one denarius, and a hundred sesterces to one aureus. Although there were larger coins in the empire, many large prices were calculated in sesterces instead.

When a distributive numeral is used in front of the neuter plural sēstertia, it is read as that many thousands of sesterces. When a numeral adverb (e.g. deciens) is used in front of the genitive plural sēstertium, it is read as that many hundred thousands of sesterces.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	sēstertius	sēstertiī
Genitive	sēstertiī sēstertī1	sēstertiōrum
Dative	sēstertiō	sēstertiīs
Accusative	sēstertium	sēstertiōs
Ablative	sēstertiō	sēstertiīs
Vocative	sēstertie	sēstertiī

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Synonyms

• nummus

Descendants

• → Catalan: sesterci m
• → English: sesterce
• → French: sesterce m
• → Italian: sesterzio m
• → Portuguese: sestércio m
• → Spanish: sestercio m

Feminine variant:

• ⇒ Bulgarian: сестерция f (sestercija)
• ⇒ Dutch: sestertie f
• ⇒ German: Sesterze f
• ⇒ Polish: sestercja f

Modern borrowings:

• → English: sestertius, → sestertium
• → Esperanto: sesterco
• → Finnish: sestertius
• → German: Sesterz m
• → Japanese: セステルティウス (sesuterutiusu)
• → Romanian: sesterț n, → sesterțiu n
• → Russian: сестерций m (sestercij)

References

• “sestertius”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “sestertius”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• sestertius in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “sestertius”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “sestertius”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin