As for the selibra of the lesser weights, which our people, as I have often
said, call a mark, and the Romans call a bes, coiners who coin gold, divide it
just hke the greater weights scale, into twenty-four units of two sexiulae
each, and each unit of two sexiulae is divided into four semi-sextulae and
each semi-sextula into three units of four siliquae each. Some also divide
the separate units of four siliquae into four individual siliquae, but most,
omitting the semi-sextulae, then divide the double sextula into twelve units of
four siliquae each, and do not divide these into four individual siliquae. Thus
the first and greatest unit of measurement, which is the bes, weighs twentyfour double sexiulae.
