LIBELLA
LIBELLA
1. The diminutive form of
libra, a Roman pound,
and naturally applied not to the heavy pound of copper, but its equivalent
in silver. Varro writes as follows (
L. L. 5.174) of the
libella: “Nummi denarii decuma libella, quod libram pondo as valebat,
et erat ex argento parva.” This phrase has been much discussed,
and has misled many metrologists, but the latest researches (Hultsch,
Metrologie, ed. 2, p. 275) seem to show that Varro's
words contain two errors and one truth. He is wrong in supposing that the
denarius was ever equal in value to ten heavy or libral asses; in fact it
was equivalent to four (As, p. 205): and he is wrong in supposing that the
libella was ever issued as an actual coin; it was in fact a mere money of
account, like the guinea among ourselves. But he is probably right in his
assertion that originally the libella was the tenth of a denarius, and so
equal to seven grains of silver, or one
as of the
triental reduction [As, Vol. I., p. 205]. Later it was reckoned as the tenth
of the sestertius, and so as equivalent only to 175 grains of silver. The
half of the libella was the sembella (Varro, 5.174), and its quarter the
teruncius. The relation (one-tenth), of the libella to the sestertius or
denarius gave rise to the phrase “heres ex libella.” (
Cic. Att. 7.2,
3), applied to those who inherited the tenth of an estate; while he
who inherited the fortieth part was called “heres ex teruncio”
(ib.). [
P.G]
2. (Also, but less frequently
libra.) A
carpenter's level, called by the Greeks
διαβήτης, and also in poets (from the pendant tongue)
σταφυλή (Horn.
II.
2.765,
 |
|
Libella, a carpenter's level. (From a grave-stone, Gruter, p. 644,
1.)
|
where Schol.
σταφυλὴ γὰρ ὁ τεκτονικὸς
διαβήτης): in
Col. 3.13,
12,
libella
fabrilis,--cf.
Plin. Nat.
36.172;
Vitr. 3.5,
2: in Lucret. 4.515 (where other instruments also are mentioned),
“libella aliqua si ex parti claudicat hilum,” the idea is
clearly of the legs not being set truly. In Caesar (
B.C.
3.40) the form
libra is used, which seems to be
the regular form when it is applied to water-level, so that
infra libram maris means “below the
sea-level.” (Blümner,
Technologie,
&c., ii. p. 236.)
[
G.E.M]
