which were then libral (a pound in weight) should be made those of a sextans in weight, by means of which when payments began to be made, both the Roman people would be freed from debt, and private persons, to whom a debt had to be paid by the state, would not suffer much loss.” Varro likewise is worth hearing: “In the case of silver the term nummi is used: that is borrowed from the Sicilians. Denarii (were so named) because they were worth ten (coins) of bronze each, quinarii because they were worth five each, sestertius , because a half was added to two (for the ancient sestertius was a dupondius and a semis ). The tenth part of a denarius nummus is a libella , because it was worth a libra of bronze in weight, and being made of silver was small. The sembella is half the libella , just as the semis is of the as . Teruncius is from tres unciae ; as this is the fourth part of the libella so the quadrans is the fourth part of the as .”
As so much difficulty and controversy surround