Ancient Greek units of measurement varied according to location and epoch. Systems of ancient weights and measures evolved as needs changed; Solon and other lawgivers also reformed them en bloc.[citation needed] Some units of measurement were found to be convenient for trade within the Mediterranean region and these units became increasingly common to different city states. The calibration and use of measuring devices became more sophisticated. By about 500 BC, Athens had a central depository of official weights and measures, the Tholos, where merchants were required to test their measuring devices against official standards.[citation needed]
Some Greek measures of length were named after parts of the body, such as the δάκτυλος (daktylos, plural: δάκτυλοιdaktyloi) or finger (having the size of a thumb), and the πούς (pous, plural: πόδεςpodes) or foot (having the size of a shoe). The values of the units varied according to location and epoch (e.g., in Aegina a pous was approximately 333 mm (13.1 in), whereas in Athens (Attica) it was about 296 mm (11.7 in)),[1] but the relative proportions were generally the same.
Smaller units of length
Unit
Greek name
Equal to
Modern equivalent
Description
daktylos
δάκτυλος
19.3 mm (0.76 in)
finger
kondylos
κόνδυλος
2 daktyloi
38.5 mm (1.52 in)
knuckle
palaistē or dōron
παλαιστή, δῶρον
4 daktyloi
77.1 mm (3.04 in)
palm
dichas or hēmipodion
διχάς, ἡμιπόδιον
8 daktyloi
154.1 mm (6.07 in)
half foot
lichas
λιχάς
10 daktyloi
192.6 mm (7.58 in)
distance from thumb-tip to tip of outstretched index finger[2]
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851).[3] Metric equivalents are approximate.
Larger units derived from the pous
pous
bema haplun
bema diplun
orguia
akaina
hamma
plethron
stadion
pous
1
2⁄5
1⁄5
1⁄6
1⁄10
1⁄60
1⁄100
1⁄600
bema haplun
2+1⁄2
1
1⁄2
5⁄12
1⁄4
1⁄24
1⁄40
1⁄240
bema diplun
5
2
1
5⁄6
1⁄2
1⁄12
1⁄20
1⁄120
orguia
6
2+2⁄5
1+1⁄5
1
3⁄5
1⁄10
3⁄50
1⁄100
akaina
10
4
2
1+2⁄3
1
1⁄6
1⁄10
1⁄60
hamma
60
24
12
10
6
1
3⁄5
1⁄10
plethron
100
40
20
16+2⁄3
10
1+2⁄3
1
1⁄6
stadion
600
240
120
100
60
10
6
1
meters
0.30823
0.77057
1.54115
1.8494
3.0823
18.4938
30.823
184.94
Areaedit
The ordinary units used for land measurement were:
Units of surface measurement
Unit
Greek name
Equal to
Modern equivalent
Description
pous
πούς
0.095 m2 (1.02 sq ft)
square foot
hexapodēs
ἑξαπόδης
36 podes
3.42 m2 (36.8 sq ft)
square six-foot
akaina
ἄκαινα
100 podes
9.50 m2 (102.3 sq ft)
rod
hēmiektos
ἡμίεκτος
833+1⁄3 podes
79.2 m2 (853 sq ft)
half a sixth
hektos
ἕκτος
1,666+2⁄3 podes
158.3 m2 (1,704 sq ft)
a sixth of a plethron
aroura
ἄρουρα
2,500 podes
237.5 m2 (2,556 sq ft)
field
plethron
πλέθρον
10,000 podes
950 m2 (10,200 sq ft)
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851).[3] Metric equivalents are approximate.
Volumeedit
Neck amphora depicting an athlete running the hoplitodromos by the Berlin Painter, c. 480 BC, Louvre.
Greeks measured volume according to either solids or liquids, suited respectively to measuring grain and wine. A common unit in both measures throughout historic Greece was the cotyle or cotyla whose absolute value varied from one place to another between 210 ml and 330 ml.[1] The basic unit for both solid and liquid measures was the κύαθος (kyathos, plural: kyathoi).[4]
Mass is often associated with currency since units of currency involve prescribed amounts of a given metal. Thus for example the English pound has been both a unit of mass and a currency. Greek masses similarly bear a nominal resemblance to Greek currency yet the origin of the Greek standards of weights is often disputed.[11] There were two dominant standards of weight in the eastern Mediterranean: a standard that originated in Euboea and that was subsequently introduced to Attica by Solon, and also a standard that originated in Aegina. The Attic/Euboean standard was supposedly based on the barley corn, of which there were supposedly twelve to one obol. However, weights that have been retrieved by historians and archeologists show considerable variations from theoretical standards. A table of standards derived from theory is as follows:[11]
Athenians measured the day by sundials and unit fractions. Periods during night or day were measured by a water clock (clepsydra) that dripped at a steady rate and other methods. Whereas the day in the Gregorian calendar commences after midnight, the Greek day began after sunset. Athenians named each year after the Archon Eponymous for that year, and in Hellenistic times years were reckoned in quadrennial epochs according to the Olympiad.
In archaic and early classical Greece, months followed the cycle of the Moon which made them not fit exactly into the length of the solar year. Thus, if not corrected, the same month would migrate slowly into different seasons of the year. The Athenian year was divided into 12 months, with one additional month (Poseidon deuterons, thirty days) being inserted between the sixth and seventh months every second year. Even with this intercalary month, the Athenian or Attic calendar was still fairly inaccurate and days had occasionally to be added by the Archon Basileus. The start of the year was at the summer solstice (previously it had been at the winter solstice) and months were named after Athenian religious festivals, 27 mentioned in the Hibah Papyrus, circa 275 BC.
This section of a frieze from the Elgin Marbles shows a cavalry procession that was part of the quadrennial Greater Panathenaic festival, always held in the month Hekatombion.
^ ab"Measures". The Oxford Classical Dictionary. 2003.
^"What is the unit called a lichas?". www.sizes.com.
^ abcdefgSmith, Sir William; Charles Anthon (1851) A new classical dictionary of Greek and Roman biography, mythology, and geography partly based upon the Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology New York: Harper & Bros. Tables, pp. 1024–30
^ abcdefgEIM:Metrology:History. Hellenic Institute of Metrology (EIM). .
^Petermandl, Werner (November 19, 2020). "On the length of the Greek hippodrome". In Moretti, Jean-Charles; Valavanis, Panos (eds.). Les hippodromes et les concours hippiques dans la grèce antique. Suppléments du BCH. École française d’Athènes. pp. 133–144. ISBN9782869584662 – via OpenEdition Books.
. History/Classics 310. Archived from the original on April 8, 2005. Retrieved December 15, 2005.
Porter, John. "Greek and Roman Weights, Measures and Currency". from the original on 6 August 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2007.
Online Conversion of Ancient Greek Units
May 08, 2024
ancient, greek, units, measurement, varied, according, location, epoch, systems, ancient, weights, measures, evolved, needs, changed, solon, other, lawgivers, also, reformed, them, bloc, citation, needed, some, units, measurement, were, found, convenient, trad. Ancient Greek units of measurement varied according to location and epoch Systems of ancient weights and measures evolved as needs changed Solon and other lawgivers also reformed them en bloc citation needed Some units of measurement were found to be convenient for trade within the Mediterranean region and these units became increasingly common to different city states The calibration and use of measuring devices became more sophisticated By about 500 BC Athens had a central depository of official weights and measures the Tholos where merchants were required to test their measuring devices against official standards citation needed Contents 1 Length 2 Area 3 Volume 4 Currency 5 Mass 6 Time 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksLength editSome Greek measures of length were named after parts of the body such as the daktylos daktylos plural daktyloi daktyloi or finger having the size of a thumb and the poys pous plural podes podes or foot having the size of a shoe The values of the units varied according to location and epoch e g in Aegina a pous was approximately 333 mm 13 1 in whereas in Athens Attica it was about 296 mm 11 7 in 1 but the relative proportions were generally the same Smaller units of length Unit Greek name Equal to Modern equivalent Description daktylos daktylos 19 3 mm 0 76 in finger kondylos kondylos 2 daktyloi 38 5 mm 1 52 in knuckle palaiste or dōron palaisth dῶron 4 daktyloi 77 1 mm 3 04 in palm dichas or hemipodion dixas ἡmipodion 8 daktyloi 154 1 mm 6 07 in half foot lichas lixas 10 daktyloi 192 6 mm 7 58 in distance from thumb tip to tip of outstretched index finger 2 orthodōron ὀr8odwron 11 daktyloi 211 9 mm 8 34 in straight hand s width spithame spi8amh 12 daktyloi 231 2 mm 9 10 in span of all fingers pous poys 16 daktyloi 308 2 mm 12 13 in foot pygme pygmh 18 daktyloi 346 8 mm 13 65 in forearm pygōn pygwn 20 daktyloi 385 3 mm 15 17 in distance from elbow to fist pechys pῆxys 24 daktyloi 462 3 mm 18 20 in cubit Except where noted based on Smith 1851 3 Metric equivalents are approximate Smaller units derived from the daktylos daktylos kondylos doron dichas lichas orthodoron spithame pous pygme pygon pechus royal pechus daktylos 1 1 2 1 4 1 8 1 10 1 11 1 12 1 16 1 18 1 20 1 24 1 27 kondylos 2 1 1 2 1 4 1 5 2 11 1 6 1 8 1 9 1 10 1 12 2 27 doron 4 2 1 1 2 2 5 4 11 1 3 1 4 2 9 1 5 1 6 4 27 dichas 8 4 2 1 4 5 8 11 2 3 1 2 4 9 2 5 1 3 8 27 lichas 10 5 2 1 2 1 1 4 1 10 11 5 6 5 8 5 9 1 2 5 12 10 27 orthodoron 11 5 1 2 2 3 4 1 3 8 1 1 10 1 11 12 11 16 11 18 11 20 11 24 11 27 spithame 12 6 3 1 1 2 1 1 5 1 1 11 1 3 4 2 3 3 5 1 2 4 9 pous 16 8 4 2 1 3 5 1 5 11 1 1 3 1 8 9 4 5 2 3 16 27 pygme 18 9 4 1 2 2 1 4 1 4 5 1 7 11 1 1 2 1 1 8 1 9 10 3 4 2 3 pygon 20 10 5 2 1 2 2 1 9 11 1 2 3 1 1 4 1 1 9 1 5 6 20 27 pechus 24 12 6 3 2 2 5 2 2 11 2 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 1 5 1 8 9 royal pechus 27 13 1 2 6 3 4 3 3 8 2 7 10 2 5 11 2 1 4 1 11 16 1 1 2 1 7 20 1 1 8 1 meters 0 01926 0 03853 0 07706 0 15411 0 19264 0 21191 0 23117 0 30823 0 34676 0 38529 0 46234 0 52014 Larger units of length Unit Greek name Equal to Modern equivalent Description pous poys 0 308 m 1 01 ft foot haploun bema 4 ἁploῦn bῆma 2 1 2 podes 0 77 m 2 5 ft step bema 3 diploun bema 4 bῆma diploῦn bῆma 5 podes 1 54 m 5 1 ft pace orgyia ὄrgyia 6 podes 1 85 m 6 1 ft fathom kalamos akaina or dekapous kalamos ἄkaina dekapoys 10 podes 3 08 m 10 1 ft 10 feet hamma ἅmma 60 podes 18 5 m 20 2 yd knot link of a chain plethron ple8ron 100 podes 30 8 m 33 7 yd 100 feet stadion stadion 600 podes 184 9 m 202 2 yd an eighth of a Roman mile diaulos diaylos 2 stadia 369 9 m 404 5 yd double pipe hippikon ἱppikon 4 stadia 739 7 m 808 9 yd length of a hippodrome 5 milion milion 8 stadia 1 479 km 1 617 yd Roman mile dolichos 4 dolixos 12 stadia 2 219 km 1 379 mi long race parasanges or league 6 parasagghs 30 stadia 5 548 km 3 447 mi adopted from Persia 4 schoinos sxoinos 40 stadia 7 397 km 4 596 mi adopted from Egypt 4 stage 6 160 stadia 29 8 km 18 5 mi Except where noted based on Smith 1851 3 Metric equivalents are approximate Larger units derived from the pous pous bema haplun bema diplun orguia akaina hamma plethron stadion pous 1 2 5 1 5 1 6 1 10 1 60 1 100 1 600 bema haplun 2 1 2 1 1 2 5 12 1 4 1 24 1 40 1 240 bema diplun 5 2 1 5 6 1 2 1 12 1 20 1 120 orguia 6 2 2 5 1 1 5 1 3 5 1 10 3 50 1 100 akaina 10 4 2 1 2 3 1 1 6 1 10 1 60 hamma 60 24 12 10 6 1 3 5 1 10 plethron 100 40 20 16 2 3 10 1 2 3 1 1 6 stadion 600 240 120 100 60 10 6 1 meters 0 30823 0 77057 1 54115 1 8494 3 0823 18 4938 30 823 184 94Area editThe ordinary units used for land measurement were Units of surface measurement Unit Greek name Equal to Modern equivalent Description pous poys 0 095 m2 1 02 sq ft square foot hexapodes ἑ3apodhs 36 podes 3 42 m2 36 8 sq ft square six foot akaina ἄkaina 100 podes 9 50 m2 102 3 sq ft rod hemiektos ἡmiektos 833 1 3 podes 79 2 m2 853 sq ft half a sixth hektos ἕktos 1 666 2 3 podes 158 3 m2 1 704 sq ft a sixth of a plethron aroura ἄroyra 2 500 podes 237 5 m2 2 556 sq ft field plethron ple8ron 10 000 podes 950 m2 10 200 sq ft Except where noted based on Smith 1851 3 Metric equivalents are approximate Volume edit nbsp Neck amphora depicting an athleterunning the hoplitodromos by the BerlinPainter c 480 BC Louvre Greeks measured volume according to either solids or liquids suited respectively to measuring grain and wine A common unit in both measures throughout historic Greece was the cotyle or cotyla whose absolute value varied from one place to another between 210 ml and 330 ml 1 The basic unit for both solid and liquid measures was the kya8os kyathos plural kyathoi 4 The Attic liquid measures were Attic measures of liquid capacity Unit Greek name Equal to Modern equivalent Description kochliarion koxliarion 4 5 mL 0 15 US fl oz 0 16 imp fl oz spoon cheme xhmh 2 kochliaria 9 1 mL 0 31 US fl oz 0 32 imp fl oz a measure 7 mystron mystron 2 1 2 kochliaria 11 4 mL 0 39 US fl oz 0 40 imp fl oz Roman ligula konche kogxh 5 kochliaria 22 7 mL 0 77 US fl oz 0 80 imp fl oz shell full kyathos kya8os 10 kochliaria 45 5 mL 1 54 US fl oz 1 60 imp fl oz Roman cyathus oxybaphon ὀ3ybafon 1 1 2 kyathoi 68 2 mL 2 31 US fl oz 2 40 imp fl oz Roman acetabulum tetarton 3 hemikotyle 4 tetarton ἡmikotylh 3 kyathoi 136 4 mL 4 61 US fl oz 4 80 imp fl oz Roman quartarius kotyle tryblion or hemina kotylh tryblion ἡmina 6 kyathoi 272 8 mL 9 22 US fl oz 9 60 imp fl oz Roman cotyla or hemina xestes 3esths 12 kyathoi 545 5 mL 1 153 US pt 0 960 imp pt Roman sextarius chous xoῦs 72 kyathoi 3 27 L 6 9 US pt 5 75 imp pt Roman congius keramion keramion 8 choes 26 2 L 6 9 US gal 5 8 imp gal Roman amphora quadrantal metretes metrhths 12 choes 39 3 L 10 4 US gal 8 6 imp gal amphora Except where noted based on Smith 1851 3 Metric equivalents are approximate nbsp Illustration of the Third Horseman of the Apocalypse holding a set of scales in the Book of Revelation he proclaims A choinix of wheat for a denarius and three choinikes of barley for a denarius indicating high food prices during a famine 8 and the Attic dry measures of capacity were Attic measures of dry capacity Unit Greek name Equal to Modern equivalent Description kochliarion koxliarion 4 5 mL 0 15 US fl oz 0 16 imp fl oz kyathos kya8os 10 kochliaria 45 5 mL 1 54 US fl oz 1 60 imp fl oz Roman cyathus oxybaphon ὀ3ybafon 1 1 2 kyathoi 68 2 mL 2 31 US fl oz 2 40 imp fl oz Roman acetabulum kotyle or hemina kotylh ἡmina 6 kyathoi 272 8 mL 9 22 US fl oz 9 60 imp fl oz Roman cotyla or hemina xestes 3esths 12 kyathoi 545 5 mL 1 153 US pt 0 960 imp pt Roman sextarius choinix xoῖni3 24 kyathoi 1 09 L 2 3 US pt 1 92 imp pt hemiekton ἡmiekton 4 choinikes 4 36 L 1 15 US gal 0 96 imp gal Roman semimodius hekteus ἑkteys 8 choinikes 8 73 L 2 31 US gal 1 92 imp gal Roman modius medimnos medimnos 48 choinikes 52 4 L 13 8 US gal 11 5 imp gal Except where noted based on Smith 1851 3 Metric equivalents are approximate Currency editThe basic unit of Athenian currency was the obol weighing approximately 0 72 grams of silver 9 10 nbsp An obol Attica Athens weighing 0 69g After 449 BC Unit Greek name Equivalent Weight obol or obolus ὀbolos 1 6 drachma 4 tetartemorions 0 72 g 0 023 ozt drachma draxmh 6 obols 4 3 g 0 14 ozt mina mnᾶ 100 drachmae talent talanton 60 minaeMass editMass is often associated with currency since units of currency involve prescribed amounts of a given metal Thus for example the English pound has been both a unit of mass and a currency Greek masses similarly bear a nominal resemblance to Greek currency yet the origin of the Greek standards of weights is often disputed 11 There were two dominant standards of weight in the eastern Mediterranean a standard that originated in Euboea and that was subsequently introduced to Attica by Solon and also a standard that originated in Aegina The Attic Euboean standard was supposedly based on the barley corn of which there were supposedly twelve to one obol However weights that have been retrieved by historians and archeologists show considerable variations from theoretical standards A table of standards derived from theory is as follows 11 Unit Greek name Equivalent Metric Equivalent Aeginetic standard obol or obolus ὀbolos 12 0 72 g 0 025 oz 1 05 g 0 037 oz drachma draxmh 13 6 obols 4 31 g 0 152 oz 6 3 g 0 22 oz mina mnᾶ 14 100 drachmae 431 g 15 2 oz 630 g 22 oz talent talanton 15 60 minae 25 86 kg 57 0 lb 37 8 kg 83 lb dd Time editAthenians measured the day by sundials and unit fractions Periods during night or day were measured by a water clock clepsydra that dripped at a steady rate and other methods Whereas the day in the Gregorian calendar commences after midnight the Greek day began after sunset Athenians named each year after the Archon Eponymous for that year and in Hellenistic times years were reckoned in quadrennial epochs according to the Olympiad In archaic and early classical Greece months followed the cycle of the Moon which made them not fit exactly into the length of the solar year Thus if not corrected the same month would migrate slowly into different seasons of the year The Athenian year was divided into 12 months with one additional month Poseidon deuterons thirty days being inserted between the sixth and seventh months every second year Even with this intercalary month the Athenian or Attic calendar was still fairly inaccurate and days had occasionally to be added by the Archon Basileus The start of the year was at the summer solstice previously it had been at the winter solstice and months were named after Athenian religious festivals 27 mentioned in the Hibah Papyrus circa 275 BC nbsp This section of a frieze from the Elgin Marbles shows a cavalry procession that was part of the quadrennial Greater Panathenaic festival always held in the month Hekatombion Month Greek name Gregorian equivalent Hecatombaeon Ἑkatombaiwn June July Metageitnion Metageitniwn July August Boedromion Bohdromiwn August September Pyanepsion Pyanepsiwn September October Maemacterion Maimakthriwn October November Poseideon Poseidewn November December Gamelion Gamhliwn December January Anthesterion Ἀn8esthriwn January February Elaphebolion Ἐlafhboliwn February March Munychion Moynyxiwn March April Thargelion 8arghliwn April May Scirophorion Skiroforiwn May JuneSee also editAncient Roman units of measurement Byzantine units of measurement Level staffReferences edit a b Measures The Oxford Classical Dictionary 2003 What is the unit called a lichas www sizes com a b c d e f g Smith Sir William Charles Anthon 1851 A new classical dictionary of Greek and Roman biography mythology and geography partly based upon the Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology New York Harper amp Bros Tables pp 1024 30 a b c d e f g EIM Metrology History Hellenic Institute of Metrology EIM Archived 13 April 2009 Petermandl Werner November 19 2020 On the length of the Greek hippodrome In Moretti Jean Charles Valavanis Panos eds Les hippodromes et les concours hippiques dans la grece antique Supplements du BCH Ecole francaise d Athenes pp 133 144 ISBN 9782869584662 via OpenEdition Books a b Xenophon Anabasis ca 400 B C Ward Elster F February 2 1899 Outlines of Sociology via Google Books Mounce Robert H 2006 The Book of Revelation Grand Rapids Mich u a Eerdmans p 140 ISBN 9780802825377 Retrieved 2015 04 10 British Museum Catalogue 11 Attica Megaris Aegina History 310 Greek Coinage and Measures Archived from the original on May 4 2015 Retrieved July 31 2005 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link a b Weights The Oxford Classical Dictionary 2003 ὀbolos Liddell Henry George Scott Robert A Greek English Lexicon at the Perseus Project draxmh Liddell Henry George Scott Robert A Greek English Lexicon at the Perseus Project mnᾶ Liddell Henry George Scott Robert A Greek English Lexicon at the Perseus Project talanton Liddell Henry George Scott Robert A Greek English Lexicon at the Perseus ProjectExternal links edit History 310 Greek Coinage and Measures History Classics 310 Archived from the original on April 8 2005 Retrieved December 15 2005 Porter John Greek and Roman Weights Measures and Currency Archived from the original on 6 August 2007 Retrieved July 26 2007 Online Conversion of Ancient Greek Units Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ancient Greek units of measurement amp oldid 1216086841, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
