sestertium

American  

[se-stur-shee-uhm, -shuhm] / sɛˈstɜr ʃi əm, -ʃəm /

noun

• sestertia
  plural

1. a money of account of ancient Rome, equal to 1000 sesterces.

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sestertium British  

/ sɛˈstɜːtɪəm /

noun

1. an ancient Roman money of account equal to 1000 sesterces

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sestertia
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of sestertium

1530–40; < Latin sēstertium genitive plural of sēstertius sesterce, taken as neuter singular

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sestertia

In money again it would surely be needless pedantry in the translator of a satirist to talk of sestertia rather than pounds.

From The Satires, Epistles, and Art of Poetry by John Conington

Petronius turned to Vinicius,—"Give command to count out to him five thousand sestertia, but in spirit, in intention."

From Quo Vadis: a narrative of the time of Nero by Jeremiah Curtin

But this thought was not disagreeable; for Chilo understood that in that event he would be necessary again to Vinicius, and could squeeze afresh a goodly number of sestertia from the tribune.

From Quo Vadis: a narrative of the time of Nero by Jeremiah Curtin

Quite so, just like Domitian and the two thousand sestertia man and, indeed, half the male population of Rome, who, when they saw her yesterday were moved by the same family feeling.

From Pearl-Maiden by Henry Rider Haggard

When the full two thousand sestertia were counted, that is, over fifteen thousand pounds of our money, this second basket still remained more than a third full.

From Pearl-Maiden by Henry Rider Haggard

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