τάλαντον
Alt. τάλαντον, ου, τό,
Etym. *τλάω
I. "a balance", Theogn., Ar.:—in pl. "a pair of scales", Il., etc.
II. "anything weighed",
1. "a definite weight, a talent", in Hom. of gold; but the weight of the Homeric talent is unknown.
2. in later times the τάλαντον was both "a weight" and "a sum of money" represented by that weight of silver:—the Attic talent weighed about 57.75 lbs. avoird., and its value in our money was about 200 "l." There was, of course, no such "coin" as a talent. For purposes of coinage, a talent of silver was coined into 6000 drachmae.