Argentarius

1.

argentārĭus, a, um, adj. [argentum].

I.

Of or pertaining to silver (cf. argentum, I. A.):

metalla,

silver-mines, Plin. 33, 5, 26, § 86:

plumbum,

a mixture of tin and lead, id. 34, 9, 20, § 95, and 34, 17, 48, §

160: creta,

for polishing silver, tripoli, rottenstone, id. 35, 17, 58, § 199:

faber,

a worker in silver, silver-smith, Dig. 34, 2, 39.—

II.

Of or pertaining to money (cf. argentum, I. B. 2.):

amore pereo et inopiā argentariā,

am dying of love and want of money, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 65; so,

opes,

possessions in money, id. Ep. 5, 2, 7:

auxilium,

pecuniary assistance, id. Ps. 1, 1, 103:

sunt meretrices omnes elecebrae argentariae,

enticers away of money, id. Men. 2, 3, 26:

cura,

care of money, Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 3:

taberna,

a banker's stall, bank, Liv. 26, 11; so,

mensa,

a banking-table, Dig. 2, 13, 4 al. —Hence subst. in all genders, like aerarius, harenarius, etc. (only thus in Cic., never as an adj.).

A.

argentārĭus, ii, m.

1.

A money-changer, banker (by whom much business was transacted, since all business transactions were committed to writing by them; cf. Dig. 2, 13, 10), Plaut. As. 1, 1, 103; so id. ib. 1, 1, 113; id. Aul. 3, 5, 53; id. Pers. 3, 3, 29 al.; Cic. Caecin. 6:

argentarii tabulae,

id. ib. 6; Suet. Aug. 2; id. Ner. 5.—

2.

(Sc. faber.) A silver-smith, Vulg. Jud. 17, 4; ib. Sap. 15, 9; ib. Isa. 40, 19:

Demetrius, argentarius faciens aedes argenteas Dianae,

ib. Act. 19, 24; Inscr. Orell. 913; 995; 4146.—

B.

argentārĭa, ae, f. (sc. taberna).

1.

A banking-house, a bank, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 47; so id. ib. 1, 1, 51; id. Ep. 2, 2, 15; Liv. 9, 40; 26, 27; 40, 51.—

2.

(sc. ars.) The vocation or employment of a bank [p. 158] er or broker:

M. Fulcinius, qui Romae argentariam non ignobilem fecit,

Cic. Caecin. 4:

argentariā dissolutā,

after the dissolution, closing up, of the bank, id. ib. 4:

exercere,

Dig. 2, 13, 4:

administrare,

ib. 2, 13, 4.—

3.

(Sc. fodina; cf.: aeraria, harenaria, ferraria, etc.) A silver-mine, Liv. 34, 21; Tac. A. 6, 19 (conj. of Weissenb.).—

* C.

argentārĭum, ii, n., a place for keeping silver, a cupboard or safe for plate, Dig. 34, 2, 19, § 8.

2.

Argentārĭus mons.

I.

A promontory on the coast of Etruria, now Monte Argentaro, Rutil. Itin. I. pp. 315-324.—

II.

The part of Mons Orospeda, in which the Bœtis took its rise, so called from its silvermines, Avien. Or. Marit. 291.