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Dodrans

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
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Source updated September 16, 2024

The dodrans (a contraction of Latin dequadrans: "less a quarter") or nonuncium (from Latin nona uncia: "ninth twelfth") was an Ancient Roman bronze coin produced during the Roman Republic.

The dodrans, valued at three quarters of an as (nine unciae), was produced only twice:

  • in 126 BC by C. Cassius, in combination with the bes, another very rare denomination which was valued at two thirds of an as.
  • in the 2nd century BC by M. Caecilius Metellus Q. f. (perhaps Marcus Caecilius Metellus, consul 115 BC), in combination with the denarius and other Æ coins, e.g. the semis, triens, and quadrans.

Dodrans as a unit may refer to a time span of forty-five minutes (three quarters of an hour) or a length of nine inches (three quarters of a foot).

It has also been used to refer to the metrical pattern, ᴗ ᴗ, ᴗ x, which constitutes the last three quarters of the glyconic line. Also called the choriambo-cretic, the pattern is common in Aeolic verse.

"Dodrans" is the root of "dodranscentennial" (75th anniversary) and "dodransbicentennial" (175th anniversary).

Watch videos about DodransExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Dodrans”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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