[ 509 ] 
Though Pliny gives no particular account of any 
alteration in the weight of the Denarius, it was un- 
oubtedly diminished by the Emperors as well as the 
Aureus, though by what degrees is uncertain 5 for 
Oalen tdls us, that the writers on weights and mea- 
fures ^ffered in the number of Drachms [Dei?arii\ 
theyaffigned to the Ounce; moftofthem making it 
to contain yf, fome but 7, and others 8 (6). The 
later writers make it contain 8 Denarii, of 3/ fcruplej 
each (7). J t 
Gi eaves found by examining many Imperial 
Denarii, that from Augustus’s time to Vefpafian 
“ they continually almoSl decreafed, till, from being 
“ the feventh part of the Roman Ounce, they came 
now to be the eighth part : and therefore 96 were 
“ coined out of the Roman Libra, whereas before, 
under the Cbnfuls, 84. From Vefpafian to Alex. 
“ beverus, as far as he had obferved, the Silver con- 
tinued at a kind of Stay in reSpedl of weight, ex- 
cepting only fuch coins as upon fome extraordi- 
“ nary occafion, both then, and in the firSt Emperors 
time, were Stamped, either in honour of the Prince 
“ or of the Emprefs and AuguSta familia, or elfe in, 
memory of fome eminent adtion. Thefe laSt mod: 
« ufually were equal to the Denarii Confulares, and 
« many of them had thefe charadters EX. S. C, or 
Under Severus and Gordianus, 
“ the Denarii began to recover their primitive weight, 
“ but most commonly with a notable abafement’ 
‘‘ and mixture of allay (8)..” Eifenfchmid hath 
( 6 ) Galen, de med. comp. fee. genera, L. III. c. 
(7) Rhemnius Fannius, Cleopatra, Diofeorides, 
Sq; Greaves, p. 113. ‘ 
3 - 
&c.. 
