A.balance, “Ζεὺς . . τὸ τ. ἐπιρρέπει ἄλλοτε ἄλλως” Thgn.157; “ζυγὸν ταλάντου” A.Supp.823 (lyr.); “ταλάντῳ μουσικὴ σταθμήσεται” Ar.Ra.797: in this sense used by Hom. only in pl., pair of scales, “ἔχον ὥς τε τάλαντα γυνή . . , ἥ τε σταθμὸν ἔχουσα καὶ εἴριον ἀμφὶς ἀνέλκει ἰσάζουσα” Il.12.433; esp. of the scales in which Zeus weighed the fortunes of men, χρύσεια πατὴρ ἐτίταινε τ. 8.69, 22.209; γνῶ γὰρ Διὸς ἱρὰ τ. 16.658; ἐπὴν κλίνῃσι τ. Ζεύς, i.e. when he decides the issue of battle, 19.223; “τ. βρίσας οὐκ ἰσορρόπῳ τύχῃ” A.Pers.346; of the scales of justice, “δίκης κατέκειτο τάλαντα” h.Merc.324, cf. AP6.267.4 (Diotim.): so in sg., “δίκας ῥέπει τάλαντον” B.17.25.
2. tax paid for the use of the public scales, SIG 4.7 (Cyzicus, vi B.C.).
II. anything weighed,
1. a definite weight, talent, in Hom. always of gold, “δέκα χρυσοῖς τάλαντα” Il.9.122; δύω χρ. τ. 18.507; δέκα πάντα τ. ten in all, 19.247, 24.232; χρυσοῦ . . εὐεργέος ἑπτὰ τ. Od.9.202; “χρυσοῖο τάλαντον . . τιμήεντος” 8.393: from the order of the prizes in Il.23.262 sq. and other passages its weight was probably not great, cf. Arist.Fr.164.
2. in post-Hom. writers, the τάλαντον was both a commercial weight (differing in different systems), and also the sum of money represented by the corresponding weight of gold or silver; τοῖσι μὲν (of the subjects of Darius) ἀργύριον ἀπαγινέουσι εἴρητο Βαβυλώνιον σταθμὸν τ. ἀπαγινέειν, τοῖσι δὲ χρυσίον ἀπαγινέουσι Εὐβοϊκόν: τὸ δὲ Βαβυλώνιον τ. δύναται Εὐβοΐδας （ὀκτὼ καὶ add. Reiz) “ἑβδομήκοντα μνέας” Hdt.3.89; τ. Ἀττικόν, Αἰγιναῖον, etc., Poll.9.86; “ἐποίησε [ὁ Σόλων] σταθμὰ πρὸς τὸ νόμισμα τρεῖς καὶ ἑξήκοντα μνᾶς τὸ τ. ἀγούσας” Arist.Ath.10.2.
