Ancient Greek units of measurement

The Greek system of weights and measures was built mainly upon the Egyptian, and formed the basis of the later Roman system. Template:TOCnestright Template:Left66

Although we might suggest that the Egyptians had discovered the art of measurement, it is really only with the Greeks that the science of measurement begins to appear. The Greeks' knowledge of geometry, and their early experimentation with weights and measures, soon began to place their measurement system on a more scientific basis. By comparison, Roman science, which came later, was not as advanced... (Quoted from the website of the Canada Science and Technology Museum [1])

Generally speaking, standards of measurement within the ancient Greek world varied according to location and epoch. In a city state like Athens, for example, units of measurement evolved as needs changed and sometimes they were radically reformed by influential figures such as Solon. In time, some units of measurement were found to be convenient for trade within the Mediterranean region and these units became more and more common to different city states. Similarly the calibration and use of measuring devices became more sophisticated over time. By about 500 BC, Athens already had its own central depository of official weights and measures — the Tholos — where merchants were required to test their measuring devices against official standards.

Length

Greek measures of length were based on the relative lengths of body parts, such as the foot and finger segment. The specific values assigned to these units varied according to location and epoch (e.g., in Aegina a foot or pous was approximately 13 inches or 333mm, whereas in Athens it was about 11.6 inches or 296mm). The relative proportions, however, were generally the same throughout the Greek world.

Units derived from the dactylos (plural: dactyloi):

Unit	Greek name	Equivalent	Description
dactylos	δάκτυλος		finger breadth
condylos	κόνδυλος	2 dactyloi	middle joint of finger
palaiste or doron	παλαιστή,δῶρον	4 dactyloi	palm
dichas or hemipodion	διχάς,ἡμιπόδιον	8 dactyloi	half foot
lichas	λιχάς	10 dactyloi	span of thumb
orthodoron	ὀρθόδωρον	11 dactyloi
spithame	σπιθαμή	12 dactyloi	span of all fingers
pous	ποῦς	16 dactyloi	foot
pygme	πυγμή	18 dactyloi	elbow to base of fingers
pygon	πυγών	20 dactyloi
pechys	πῆχυς	24 dactyloi	cubit
pechys basileios	πῆχυς βασιλήιος	27 dactyloi	royal cubit

Larger units derived from the pous (plural: podes):

Unit	Greek name	Equivalent	Description
pous	ποῦς	16 dactyloi	foot
aploun bema	ἀπλοῦν βῆμα	2.5 podes	single pace
diploun bema	διπλοῦν βῆμα	5 podes	double pace
orgyia	ὀργυιά	6 podes	fathom or stretch of both arms
akaina	ἄκαινα	10 podes
plethron	πλέθρον	100 podes	breadth of Greek acre
stadion	στάδιον	600 podes

File:Olympic Stadium of Athens.jpg

The stadion was a customary unit of length for a foot race and became a common measure for many ancient greek city-states. It has since given its name to sporting venues all around the world—in this case, the Athens Olympic Stadium.

The Attic stadion had length 184.98 m, the Olympic stadion 192.27 m, and the walking stadion 157.50 m.. Distances derived from the stadion (plural: stadia):

Unit	Greek name	Equivalent	Description
stadion	στάδιον	600 podes
diaulos	δίαυλος	2 stadia
hippikon	ἱππικόν	4 stadia
dolichos	δόλιχος	12 stadia
parasanges or parasang	παρασάγγες	30 stadia	adopted from Persia
schoinos	σχοινός	40 stadia	adopted from Egypt

Area

1 plethron: traditionally the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plough in one day (approximately 4 English acres); more specifically, it was any area equal to the area of a square each of whose sides is 100 podes or 1 plethron in length .

Volume

Greeks measured volume according to either dry or liquid capacity, 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 210mL and 330mL (or 7.4-11.6 fl. oz.) :

Neck amphora depicting an athlete running the hoplitodromos by the Berlin Painter, ca. 480 BC, Louvre. The average wine amphora had a capacity of about 40L.

Dry Measure

Unit	Greek name	Equivalent	Description
cotyla	κοτύλη		approx a cup
choenix	χοῖνιξ	4 cotylai	approx 1 man's daily grain ration
hecteus	ἑκτεύς	8 choenixes
medimnos	μέδιμνος	6 hecteis

Liquid Measure

Unit	Greek name	Equivalent	Description
cotyla	κοτύλη		approx a cup
hemichous	ἡμίχουν	6 cotylai
chous	χοῦς	12 cotylai
metretes	μετρητής	144 cotylai	approx 1 amphora wine

Currency

The basic unit of Athenian currency was the obol:

An obol, Attica, Athens. After 449 BC

Unit	Greek name	Equivalent
obol or obolus	ὀβολός
drachma	δραχμή	6 obols
mina	μνέα	100 drachmae
talent	τάλαντον	60 minae

Weight

Weights are 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 weight and a unit of currency. Greek weights similarly bear a nominal resemblance to Greek currency yet the origin of the Greek standards of weights is often disputed . 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 has been represented by some scholars as follows :

Unit	Greek name	Equivalent	Attic/Euboic Standard	Aeginetic Standard
obol or obolus	ὀβολός		0.72g	1.05g
drachma	δραχμή	6 obols	4.31g	6.3g
mina	μνέα	100 drachmae	431g	630g
talent	τάλαντον	60 minae	25.86kg	37.8kg

Time

Athenians measured the day by sundials. Periods during night or day could be measured by a water clock (clepsydra) that dripped at a steady rate. Whereas the day in our Gregorian calendar commences just after midnight, the Greek day began just after sunset. Athenians named each year after the Archon Basileus for that year, and in Hellenistic times years were reckoned in quadrennial epochs according to the Olympiad. The Athenian year was divided into 12 months, with one additional month (poseideon deuteros, 30 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:

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
Hekatombaeon	Ἐκατομβαιών	June-July
Metageitnion	Μεταγειτνιών	July-Aug
Boedromion	Βοηδρομιών	Aug-Sept
Puanepsion	Πυανεψιών	Sept-Oct
Maimakteron	Μαιμακτηριών	Oct-Nov
Poseideon	Ποσειδεών	Nov-Dec
Gamelion	Γαμηλιών	Dec-Jan
Anthesterion	Ἀνθεστηριών	Jan-Feb
Elaphebolion	Ἐλαφηβολιών	Feb-March
Mounichion	Μουνυχιών	March-April
Thargelion	Θαργηλιών	April-May
Skirophorion	Σκιροφοριών	May-June

See also

• Stadia rod
• Systems of measurement
• Obsolete units of measure

External links

• "History 310: Greek Coinage and Measures". History/Classics 310. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Porter, John. "Greek and Roman Weights, Measures and Currency". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)