Denarius as medical weight

[Glebe]

It's commonly assumed that the denarius (Nero's) was used as a drachm weight by ancient doctors but can someone point me to a specific reference for this usage?

Ross G.

[Roman Collector]

A dram is a unit of liquid equivalent to 3.67 ml. A dram of water would therefore weigh 3.67 g, which is about the weight of a 1st century denarius. The word dram supposedly comes from drachma. 

[Glebe]

I'm looking for references in Galen or other ancient medical authors - the usual search engines have not returned anything useful.

Ross G.

[Dwarf]

15 hours ago, Glebe said:

the usual search engines have not returned anything useful

Which is not surprising.
I have never heard of this "common assumption" - during more than 45 years working with ancient coins

[Steppenfool]

 

 

Referece (3) :  Galen Of Pergamum. Galeni de Compositione Pharmacorum Book IV. 531. b & c

 

 

Bartels, E.M., Swaddling, J. and Harrison, A.P. (2006), An Ancient Greek Pain Remedy for Athletes. Pain Practice, 6: 212-218. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-2500.2006.00088.x

Available: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1533-2500.2006.00088.x

[Glebe]

6 hours ago, Dwarf said:

Which is not surprising.
I have never heard of this "common assumption" - during more than 45 years working with ancient coins

Perhaps because this is actually a question of metrology rather than numismatics.

What I am really looking into is the origin of the Apothecaries' weight scale and it's connection with the the Roman weight scale. And ultimately to the origin of the Troy pound.

Ross G.

 

 

[Glebe]

4 hours ago, Steppenfool said:

 

 

Referece (3) :  Galen Of Pergamum. Galeni de Compositione Pharmacorum Book IV. 531. b & c

 

 

Bartels, E.M., Swaddling, J. and Harrison, A.P. (2006), An Ancient Greek Pain Remedy for Athletes. Pain Practice, 6: 212-218. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-2500.2006.00088.x

Available: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1533-2500.2006.00088.x

Thanks for those references. It seems Celsus freely mixed Roman (denarius & sextantes) and Greek (obolus) terminology in the early 1st century.

Ross G.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Interesting - thank you.

[lrbguy]

11 hours ago, Glebe said:

Thanks for those references. It seems Celsus freely mixed Roman (denarius & sextantes) and Greek (obolus) terminology in the early 1st century.

Ross G.

Freely mixed?  Perhaps, but not necessarily.  It depends upon which part of the empire was the location for the intended recipients.  The eastern empire maintained Greek as the lingua franca before, through, and beyond the days of the Roman empire.  Latin was the preferred language in the West.  Tractates intended for general circulation might mix the two, but targeted works might well have stayed local.  So, where were the intended recipients?