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<p>[QUOTE="dougsmit, post: 1643335, member: 19463"]Regarding sestertius: I think this may relate to an ancient tendency to see things differently than we do. For example we are coming into the Easter season when Christians celebrate the Ressurection of Christ on the 'Third Day'. The Crucifiction was on Friday (Good Friday) and the Resurrection on Sunday. To get 3 days you have to count both ends which was the way they saw things. Modern calendars don't count a year until it has passed and most of you say how old you were on your last birthday even if it was 11 months ago. I believe ancients would have seen it more like our little children who might point out that they will be five on their next birthday. Romans counted days until the next special day so March 10 was 'five days before the Ides of March' and 20 March was '12 days before the Kalends of April'. I hope I did the math right on those but the point is that IIS sestertius was half way to a third as rather than the third half. It is a question like the glass being half full or half empty. </p><p><br /></p><p>Who knows the name of a half denarius? Quinarius refers to five asses which was half of the original 10 as denarius rather than the new style 16 as version. I imaging there are a bunch more that could draw this out but most people stopped reading my 'short' answers years ago. </p><p><br /></p><p>Your turn Bing. Tell us how we went from disme to dime. How many double sawbucks do you get for a double eagle? A Guinea and a Pound? If the Earl bought three sandwiches each costing a Bob and a Groat how much change was he due from his Half Crown? The Romans were no more strange than modern man; they just got here first.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="dougsmit, post: 1643335, member: 19463"]Regarding sestertius: I think this may relate to an ancient tendency to see things differently than we do. For example we are coming into the Easter season when Christians celebrate the Ressurection of Christ on the 'Third Day'. The Crucifiction was on Friday (Good Friday) and the Resurrection on Sunday. To get 3 days you have to count both ends which was the way they saw things. Modern calendars don't count a year until it has passed and most of you say how old you were on your last birthday even if it was 11 months ago. I believe ancients would have seen it more like our little children who might point out that they will be five on their next birthday. Romans counted days until the next special day so March 10 was 'five days before the Ides of March' and 20 March was '12 days before the Kalends of April'. I hope I did the math right on those but the point is that IIS sestertius was half way to a third as rather than the third half. It is a question like the glass being half full or half empty. Who knows the name of a half denarius? Quinarius refers to five asses which was half of the original 10 as denarius rather than the new style 16 as version. I imaging there are a bunch more that could draw this out but most people stopped reading my 'short' answers years ago. Your turn Bing. Tell us how we went from disme to dime. How many double sawbucks do you get for a double eagle? A Guinea and a Pound? If the Earl bought three sandwiches each costing a Bob and a Groat how much change was he due from his Half Crown? The Romans were no more strange than modern man; they just got here first.[/QUOTE]
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