Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Talentum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

TALEN'TUM (τάλαντον). The Greek name for a pair of scales (libra), whence the term was transferred to the object weighed; and as it was an early practice to weigh out the sums of money to be paid, the talent came to signify a definite weight in money, as well as other commodities; varying, however, in different states of Greece, and at different periods of her history. The Attic talent of money contained six thousand drachmas, worth about 243l. 15s. of our money; the Attic talent of weight was equal to about 57lb.; the Aeginetan to nearly 82¼lb. Rhem. Fann. de pond. 37.