a learned Greek, who wrote a history of what

passed under the last emperors of Constantinople, until the capture of that city, and the fall of the eastern empire. This work, which is esteemed, was printed at the Louvre in 1649, with the Latin translation and notes of Boillaud.

DUCAIT, a foreign coin, either of gold or silver, struck in the dominions of a duke. The origin of ducats is referred to one Longinus, governor of Italy, who, revolting against the emperor Justin the Younger, made himself duke of Ravenna, and called himself *Ezarcha*, that is, without lord or ruler; and, in order to show his independence, struck pieces of money of very pure gold in his own name, and with his own stamp, which, as Procopius relates, were called *ducati*, ducats. After him, the first who struck ducats were the Venetians, who called them *zeccini*, or *sequins*, from Zecca, the place where they were first struck. This was about the year 1280, and in the time of John Dundolo. But we have pretty good evidence that Roger king of Sicily had coined ducats as early as 1210; and Du Cange scruples not to affirm that the first ducats were struck in the duchy of Apulia in Calabria.

See Money.