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Drachma, pl. drachmae. The name of this unit of Greek money is derived from the verb "to grasp." It is the name of both:
- Modern Greek currency, replaced by the Euro.
- Ancient currency unit found in many Greek city states and successor states.
The 5th century BC Athenian tetradrachm ("four drachmae") coin was the most widely used coin in the Greek world prior to Alexander the Great. It featured the helmeted profile bust of Athena on the obverse (front) and an owl on the reverse (back). The reverse is featured on the national side of the Greek 1 euro coin, see Greek euro coins.
- 6 obols = 1 drachma
- 100 drachmae = 1 mina
- 6000 drachmae = 1 talent (Athenian standard)
The Drachma was also used in Ancient Rome in the 3rd century BC. It is difficult to give even comparative values for money from before the 20th century, due to vastly differing economies. Classical historians regularly say that in the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire, the daily wage for a laborer was one Drachma.
The Arabic unit of currency known as dirham (in the Arabic language, درهم), known from pre-Islamic times and afterwards, is derived from the ancient drachma, via Byzantium.
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