Gordian III, Roman Emperor ; Iuventius Secundinus Gaurus, agoranomos (Nicomedia) ; Q. Tineius Severus Petronianus, curator rei publicae (Nicomedia) ; Ti. Claudius Attalos Paterclianus, governor (Pontus-Bithynia)

Nicomedia

1 Libra = 1 Litra

Lead

Cast

Polygon (pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, etc.)

10.48 cm (4.125 inch)

11.11 cm (4.375 inch)

1.43 cm (0.5625 inch)

Mass (g)	Mass (grain)	Date of measurement	Reference	fragmented	cleaned	reference weight
506.62	7818.301	-	www.getty.edu	No	No	Yes

Symbol	Technique	Direction	Position	Number	Synecdoche

Greek inscriptions cover both sides of this hexagonal Roman weight. They set out the order of authority descending from the emperor down to the governor of the province, the chief financial officer, and on to the agoranomos, the official who oversaw the accuracy of weights and measures used in the market. The inscription on the front of the weight also states that it was issued in the seventh year of the reign of the Roman emperor Gordian III, or A.D. 244. The identification of the provincial governor allows scholars to determine that this weight came from the province of Bithynia, located on the Black Sea in modern Turkey.

The use of the Greek language is not unusual for parts of the eastern Mediterranean region, where Greek continued to be the language in daily use long after the Romans had taken over. But the Roman--rather than the Greek--weight system was used. This was an official litra weight used as a government standard. The unit is given by an inscription separate from the others on the rim of the weight.

No

Language	Technique	Legend type
Greek	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	Authority
Greek	Relief	Authority, Date, Denomination

Haensch and Weiß 2005: (Seite A) ἔτους ζ΄ Αὐ|τοκράτορο|ς Καίσαρος Μ(άρκου) | Ἀντωνίου Γο|ρδιανοῦ Εὐσ|εβοῦς Εὐτ|υχοῦς Σ|εβαστοῦ
(Seite B) ὑπατεύοντος | τῆς ἐπαρχείας | Τιβε(ρίου) Κλαυδίου | Ἀττάλου Πατερκλι|ανοῦ καὶ λογιστεύον|τος Κοίντου Τινηίου | Σεουήρου Πετρωνιανοῦ, | ἀγορανομοῦ(ν)το<ς> Ἰ|ουβεντίου Σεκουν|δείνου Γαύρου, | λείτρα (im Rand)
Kontrollstempel auf Seite A: Σεκουνδίνου und Γαύρου
Ligaturen
Seite A: Z. 4. NT, 5. OY
Seite B: Z. 1. TE, 2. TH, 4. TE, 5. OY, TE, 6. NH, 7. OY, TIE, OY, 8. OY, 9. OY,
NT, OY, OY, 10. OY

GREEK , ROMAN

FROM 243 TO 244

Haensch and Weiß 2005: Gordianus III, 7. Jahr. Haensch and Weiß 2007: Dies imperii (oder mutmaßliches Äquivalent): Anf. V. (?) 238. Kaiserjahr entspricht wahrscheinlich: 23.IX.243 – 22.IX.244. Weiter datierende Angaben (nur die jeweils zeitlich letzte) : Tod. Ergibt : Anf. 244. Gesamtdatierung : 23.IX.243 – Tod im Jahr 244.

Name	Date of acquisition	Inventory number
Fleischman Collection	Jan. 1, 1990	F245
Getty Museum – Getty Villa (Malibu)	Jan. 1, 1996	96.AI.202

Reference	Page/Column	Reference (number)	Plate / Figure	Comment
AÉ 1993	None	1442	None	None
Mildenberg 1994	319–320	166	None	None
SEG 44	344-345	1008	None	None
True and Hamma 1994	319-320	166
Weiß 1994	362–367, 386	II.4	pl. 2/4	None
Getty Museum 1997–98	69
Marek 2003		103a, 103b		(non vidi)
Haensch and Weiß 2005	466–467, 490–491	7	7	None
Haensch and Weiß 2007	211	None	None	None
Haensch and Weiß 2014	545	None	None	None

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/29631/unknown-maker-hexagonal-weight-roman-about-244/