DIPONDIUS. Saint Luke makes use of the word Dipondius to signify a sort of coin, which was of very little value. Nonne quinque passeres væneunt dipondio? In St. Matt. x. 29.Matthew, who relates the same thing, we read, Nonne duo passeres asse væneunt? Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? The Greek reads assarion instead of as. Now assarion, as some say, was worth half an as, that is to say, four deniers and ⅛, and according to others two deniers and 5/16. Dipondius seems rather to signify half an As1.
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Footnotes
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Translators’ note. Dr. Arbuthnot differs in opinion from our Author. He says that this coin was at first libralis, or of a pound weight, and even when it was diminished retained the name of libella. So Dupondius denoted two Asses. See his Tables of ancient Coins, &c. c. iii. ↩