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=== Miles ===

: Miles and stadia have been intended to be unit divisions of a degree
: of the Earth's great circle circumference since they were first
: defined as standards of measure by the rope stretchers
: of Mesopotamia and Egypt.

A '''mile''' is any of several ]s of ], or, in physics terminology, of ]. Today, one mile (often called "statute mile") is equal to about 1609 ] on land and one nautical mile to exactly 1852 m at sea and in the air. See below for the details. Abbreviations for mile are "mi" in the ], and "ml" and "m" in the ]. A '''mile''' is any of several ]s of ], or, in physics terminology, of ]. Today, one mile (often called "statute mile") is equal to about 1609 ] on land and one nautical mile to exactly 1852 m at sea and in the air. See below for the details. Abbreviations for mile are "mi" in the ], and "ml" and "m" in the ].


There are various ''miles'', however: There are various ''miles'', however:


Others miles are:

:; Miles
: The Greek Milos of 4800 pous and
: the Roman Milliare of 5000 pes and
: The English Myle of c 49 BC - 1593 AD
: are 8 stadions, stadiums, furlongs of 185 m.

:; Stadions
: The ordinary Mesopotamian sos or side at 6 iku and 180 meters
: was the basis for the Egyptian minute of march
: the Egyptian minute of march at 183 m and 350 royal cubits
: was the basis for the stadion of the Greek Milos
: The stadion of the Greek Milos at 6 plethrons or 100 orguia and
: 600 Atic pous of 308.4 mm at 185 m
: was the basis for the stadium of the Roman milliare
: The stadium of the Roman Milliare at 625 pes of 296 mm
: was also 185 m and at 1000 passus of 5 pes
: was the basis for the furlong of 625 fote of the English Myle

:; Leauges
: 3 Milion or Milos of 4800 pous = 24 stadions = 14,400 pous
: 1 leauge of a Milion = 4440 m
: 3 Milliare of 5000 pes = 24 stadiums = 15,000 pes =
: 1 leauge of a Milliare = 4440 m
: 3 Myles of 5000 fote = 24 furlongs = 15,000 fote = 9375 English cubits
: 1 Leauge of a Myle = 4440 m
: 3 Miles of 5280 feet = 24 furlongs = 15,840 feet = 9900 English cubits
: 1 Leauge of a Mile = 4828 m

:;degrees of Herodotus, Ptolomy and Eratosthenes
: 1 Roman degree = 75 milliare = 111 km
: 7.5 milliare = 1 schoeni = 1 kapsu = 60 stadiums of 185 m
: 60 stadiums = 60 furlongs = 11.1 km = 1/10 degree

: 1 Ptolomaic Degree = 500 stadions = 111km
: 111 km divided into 500 stadions of 600 remen of 14.7" = 222m
: Why remen instead of pous?
: Because in Egypt Remen are used for land surveys

: 1 Persian degree = 700 stadia = 111 km
: 10 Egyptian schoeni = 20 Persian parasangs = 600 furlongs
: 1 Persian stadia = 157 m = 3 Egyptian st3t

: 1 Egyptian degree = 10 itrw = 21,000 royal cubits
: 1 itrw = 700 stadia of 3 st3t of 100 royal cubits = 157 m
: 1 itrw is 1 hours river journey
: 1 atur is 1 hour of March
: 1 Egyptian Minute of March is 350 royal cubits = 183 m



*The '''statute mile''', or more specifically *The '''statute mile''', or more specifically
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== History == == History ==
Throughout history many units of length named ''mile'' have been used, with widely differing definitions, including the ] mile of approximately 1480 m. A Roman milliare or mile consisted of 1000 passus "double steps", or two strides by a Roman soldier. The Latin term for each such double stride is a ''passus'' having a length of 5 Roman pes or feet or approximately 4.83 Modern English feet. Prior to 1593 the English fote was the Roman pes. The word ''mile'' itself has been derived from the words ''mille passus'' (plural ''millia passuum''), a thousand paces. Along the roads built by the Romans throughout ], it was common to erect a stone every mile to announce the distance to Rome, the so-called milestones. The noun ''milliarium'' (plural ''milliaria''), designating a milestone, was also used as a figurative alternative for ''mile''. Throughout history many units of length named ''mile'' have been used, with widely differing definitions, originating with the ] mile of approximately 1479 m. A Roman mile consisted of 1000 "double steps", or two strides by a Roman soldier. The Latin term for each such double stride is a ''passus'' having a length of 5 Roman feet or approximately 4.83 English feet. The word ''mile'' itself has been derived from the words ''mille passus'' (plural ''millia passuum''), a thousand paces. Along the roads built by the Romans throughout ], it was common to erect a stone every mile to announce the distance to Rome, the so-called milestones. The noun ''milliarium'' (plural ''milliaria''), designating a milestone, was also used as a figurative alternative for ''mile''.


In navigation, the ] was commonly used, defined as 1 ] along the ]'s ], approximately equal to 1855 m. In navigation, the ] was commonly used, defined as 1 ] along the ]'s ], approximately equal to 1855 m.
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When the international mile became legal in mid-], the survey mile was retained for measurements derived from U.S. ] surveys. When the international mile became legal in mid-], the survey mile was retained for measurements derived from U.S. ] surveys.


In ] and most of ] the mile in the ] was an approximately 7.5 km geographical mile (determined by 4 minutes of arc) specified by ]. In parts of Germany there also existed an exact 7.5 km "metric mile" variant, but it mostly went out of use at the beginning of the ]. The Ole Rømer mile was for a long time used as a ''sea mile'' in ], but was in the middle of the 20th century replaced by the international ] (which corresponds to 1 minute of arc). The international nautical mile is still often referred to by traditionalist Scandinavians as a ''quarter mile''. In Norway and Sweden, a mile in daily speech refers to a traditional unit that is still very commonly used, but now defined as 10 km, see ].
In ] and most of ] the meille in the ] was a 7.5 km geographical mile inherited from the Greeks as 5 millions or milos, and also from various multiples of the Romans milliare and rediscovered and (determined by 4 minutes of arc) specified by ].

In parts of Germany there also existed an exact 7.5 km "metric mile" variant, but it mostly went out of use at the beginning of the ]. The Greek Milion or Milos was the basis for the scandinavian land mile but the sea mile was based on the Viking rast or rests which were similarly multiples of Greek and Roman units.

The so called Ole Rømer mile was for a long time used as a ''sea mile'' in ], but was in the middle of the 20th century replaced by the international ] (which corresponds to 1 minute of arc). The international nautical mile is still often referred to by traditionalist Scandinavians as a ''quarter mile''. In Norway and Sweden, a mile in daily speech refers to a traditional unit that is still very commonly used, but now defined as 10 km, see ].

: It's interesting how many of the German Meile make a geocentric cluster
: around either 5 Greek Milos of 7.4 km. or a whole number
: subdivision or multiple of it.
: While up to the introduction of the metric system,
: almost every town in Germany had their own definitions and
: it is said that by 1810, in Baden alone, there were 112 different Ellen,
: most divide fairly well into a degree.

: Length
: 5 Greek Milos = 7400 m
: Meile – A German geographische Meile or Gemeine deutsche Meile
: was defined as 7.420 km, but there were a wealth of variants:
: Böhmen – 7498 m
: Bayern – 7415 m, connected to a 1/15 Equatorial degree
: as 25406 Bavarian feet.
: Württemberg – 7449 m
: Reichsmeile – New mile when the metric system was introduced,
: 7.5 km. Prohibited by law in 1908.
: Anhalt – 7532 m
: the Danish mile at 7532 m, or 24000 Prussian feet.
: Also known as Landmeile
: Sachsen – Postmeile, 7500 m. Also 9062 m or 32000 feet in Dresden
: Hamburg (Prussia) – In 1816, king Frederick William III of Prussia
: adopted the Danish mile at 7532 m, or 24000 Prussian feet.
: Also known as Landmeile
: Vienna – 7586 m

: 6 Greek Milos = 8880 m
: Schleswig-Holstein – 8803 m
: Baden – 8889 m before 1810, 8944 m before 1871, 8000 m

: 6.25 Roman milliare of 625 Roman feet = 9250 m
: Hessen-Kassel – 9206 m
: Lippe-Detmold – 9264 m

: 7.5 Roman milliare = 11100 m
: Westfalen – 11100 m, but also 9250 m
: Oldenburg – 9894 m

: 3 Greek Milos = 4440 m

: Rheinland – 4119 m
: Pfalz – 4630 m
: Brabant – 5000 m
: Osnabrück – 5160 m
: Other variants
: Wiesbaden – 1000 m
: Rute – Roman origin, use as land measure.
: Schainos – Uncertain use, between 10 and 12 km, (11.1 km = 1/10 degree =)
: Wegstunde – One hours travel, used up to the 18th century.
: In Germany 1/2 Meile or 3.71 km, in Switzerland 16000 feet or 4,8 km
: Stadion – 1/8 Greek Milos
: Often definitions appear to be different but are just unit fractions ie;
: 10, 12, 14, 15, 18 or 20 feet,
: The same is true of apparent variations between approx. 3 and 5 m.
: Klafter – Fathom, usually 6 feet.
: Regional changes from 1.75 m in Baden to 3 m in Switzerland.
: Elle – Distance between elbow and finger tip.
: In the North, often 2 feet, In Prussia 17 / 8 feet,
: in the South variable, often 2 1/2 feet.
: The smallest known German elle is 402.8 mm, the longest 811 mm.
: Fuss – The foot varied between 23.51 cm in Wesel and 40.83 cm in Trier.
: Rheinfuss – Rhine foot, used in the North, 31.387 cm
: Zoll – Inch. Usually 1 / 12 foot, but also 1 / 10.
: Linie – Usually 1 / 12 inch, but also 1 / 10.
=== Volume ===
* ''Klafter'' – For firewood, 2.905 m³



In ] the ''Irish mile'' of 2240 ] (about 2048.3 m) was used legally until ], and by some reports survived until the conversion to the metre as the unit measurement for distance, in early January ]. In ] the ''Irish mile'' of 2240 ] (about 2048.3 m) was used legally until ], and by some reports survived until the conversion to the metre as the unit measurement for distance, in early January ].
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The 'Collins English Dictionary' defines a ''sea mile'' as 1828.8 m (6000 feet), being ''"an Imperial unit of length, formerly used in navigation"''. The 'Collins English Dictionary' defines a ''sea mile'' as 1828.8 m (6000 feet), being ''"an Imperial unit of length, formerly used in navigation"''.


=== Divisions of the Milos, Milliare, Myle and Mile into areas ===
:Milos
: 1 square Milos of side 4800 pous = 1 Knights fee
: 64 square stadions of 360,000 square pous,
: 34,225 square meters, 368,554 SF
: 576 aroura of 40,000 square pous, 3802.78 square m, 40,950.46 SF
: each aroura had a side of 200 pous divisible into 2 plethrons
: each of the 2304 plethron in a square Milos had a side of 100 pous
: 2304 square plethrons of 10,000 square pous,
: 950.6 square meters 10,237.64 SF
: 640,000 square orquia of 36 square pous, 3.4 square meters, 36.85 SF

:Milliare
: 1 square Milliare of side 5000 pes
: 64 square stadiums of 390,625 square pes,
: 34,225 square meters, 368,554 SF
: 25 square actus of side 1000 pes with 25 acres or 20 heridia
: 1 Heridia was 1.25 Roman acres so there were
: 20 Heridis to a square Actus
: 625 areas of 40,000 square pes, 3802.78 m, 40,950.46 SF
: 1.25 Roman acres is 50,000 pied = side 217.15 Ft area 47,154.54 SF
: Each Jugerum was half a Heridium and Half a Jugerum was an acuna.
: A Centuria was 100 Heredia or 125 acres or 5 square Actus
:Myle
: 1 square Myle of side 5000 fote or 8 furlongs
: 64 square furlongs of side 625 square feet
: in a square acre there were 40,000 square feet or fote
: each acre had a side of 200 fote
: In Roman Europe The Bodelian manuscript tells us
: 14 acres maketh a yerde of land
: If those are Roman acres of 40,000 pied then
: the yerde is 12 English acres
: 5 yerdis maketh a hyde of land which is 70 acres 60 English acres
: 8 hydis maketh a knights fee which is 560 acres of land
: 8 hydis = 480 English acres

=== Confusions ===
: the redefinition of the Greek Milos by the Romans and
: The redefinition of the Milliare by the Elizabeathans, and
: The redefinition of the Mile by the Metric system

=== Old English or Anglo Saxon units derived from the Greeks and Romans ===

: The Virgate - "An old English unit of area" is actually Roman in origin
: equal to one quarter of a hide = 1.25 yerdis = 17.5 acres
: The amount of land needed to support a person.
: The hide is at its root a German word for household, but
: the hide is a Roman derived unit
: We are told that in the Saxon counties of southern England,
: it referred to the land sufficient to support one family,
: which equaled what the family plowed in a year.
: We are told that depending on the fertility of the land, the hide varied
: from as little as 60 to as many as 240 acres, half a knights fee
: but it was typically between 80 and 120 acres, 1/4 knights fee
: Its actually 60 modern English, and 70 old Roman acres
: We are told that the bovate is 1/8 of a carucate,
: which also appears in the Domesday Book originated as a Danish measure
: and it is found in the northeastern English counties
: constituting the Danelaw.
: Lets allow a carucata or carucate, like
: 1 hide, is approximately 120 acres and
: like the bovate was found in the Danish counties.
: Lets allow A Plowland or plowgate is equal to a carucate or
: an area eight oxen can plow
: sufficient for a free family to support itself;
: its origins precede 1100. (see definitions of Sumerian areas)
: We are told the plowland compares with the knight’s fee
: which we have established originates with the Milos
: which was a larger area sufficient to support a knight’s family
: (perhaps to allow pasture for animal husbandry).
: Sulung is a Kentish term for two hides.
: Its 120 modern English, 140 Roman acres
: A yoke in Kent is 1/4 of a sulung.
: A virgate is a rod in linear measure and 1/4 of a hide
: (or 30 acres) used as a measure of area in Saxon counties.
: 30 acres is 1/4 sulong
: We have the Arpent AS a unit of length =~ 191.8 feet and
: the (square) arpent used as a unit of area, area
: (180 old French 'pied', or foot) used in France, Louisiana, and Canada.
: approximately .845 acres, or 36,802 SF
: Clearly derived from 1000 square orguia = 36,850 SF
: which is itself derived from 1 sos = 10,000 square orguia.
: We have the Morgen a unit of area =~ .6309 acres. or 27, 482 SF
: used in Germany, Holland and South Africa, as 3/4 the Arpent
: derived from the German word Morgen ("morning").
: It represented the amount of land that could be plowed in a morning.

=== Ancient Definitions of Medieval Units ===
; Mesopotamia
: 1 square iku = 10,000 SF
: 1 square great iku = 14,400 SF
: 1 square sos = 360,000 SF
;Egypt
: 1 square khet = 21,780 SF
: 1 square st3t of remen = 15,064.64 SF
: 1 square st3t = 29,526.69 SF
;Greece
: 1 square aroura = 40,950.46 SF
: 1 square plethron 10,237.64 SF
: 1 square orquia 36.85 SF
;Rome
: 1 square actus 943,090.78 SF
: 1 square Centuria 4,715,454 SF
: 1 square Heridia 47,154.54 SF
: 1 square area 40,950.46 SF
: 1 square Jugerum 23,577.27 SF
: 1 square acuna 11788.63 SF

=== Anglo - Saxon use of Roman and Greek Units ===
: 1 Myle of 5000 fote became 1 Mile of 5280 feet in 1593
: 1 square Mile of side 5280 feet was now divided into 8 furlongs of 220 yards
: where before it had been 8 stadium/furlongs of 625'
: 1 acre = 43,560 SF because it was increased by Queen Elizabeth
: The side of each square furlong was increased 35'
: The area that had been 8 Heridia of 1.25 acres or 9 acres was now divided into 10 acres
: each acre measured a perch by a furlong
: Each square furlong was half a square Actus
: Each Jugerum was half a Heridium and Half a Jugerum was an acuna.
: Each Furlong was 16 Jugerum and 32 acuna
: A Centuria was 100 Heredia, 12.5 square furlongs
: 125 acres was 5 square Actus
: in a square acre there were 40,000 square feet or fote
: each square acre had a side of 200 feet

=== Longer Discussion ===
Stadios
: The Greek root stadios means "to have standing"
: "to have standing" means to be a landowner.
: Land measures including both
: length and area are based on the size of fields
: The base units are the remen, pace, yard, orguia,
: fathom, rod, cord, perche and furlong.
: Body measures fingers, thumbs, palms, hands, fists, feet, forearms
: are related and worked into the system as multiples of the foot.
: Different classes of citizen and occupation are apportioned
: different amounts of land by the community

=== Ancient Degree Based Stadia Standards of Measure ===

: Ancient stadia measures were always divisions of the degree
: Systemized standards of measure derived from this common standard
: Mesopotamia used 600 sos of 180 m = 108 km
: Egypt used 10 itrw = 700 "3ht or fields" (of 3 kht of 100 royal cubits) = 110.25 km
: Persia used 20 parasangs of 30(furlongs = 185 m) = 111 km
: Phoenicia used 500 stadions (of 750 feet = 185 m) = 111 km
: Ptolomy and Marinus of Tyre measured in the Persian/Phoenician stadia
: Eratosthenes measured in the 700 3ht of Egypt.
: The Greeks used 600 stadions (of 600 pous of 308.4 mm) = 111 km
: The Romans used 600 stadiums of 625 pes (of 296 mm = 111 km
: All of those are accurate divisions of a degree as defined by Ptolomy
: Ancient Europe used the same standards because it did business with the same people

: The credit for the first systemized collection and standardization
: probably goes to the empire builders of Mesopotamia and Egypt
: but the international commerce of the people who benefited
: by those great empires, the Greeks and Persians and the Romans
: who followed them is what really required the system
: be standardized over such vast areas.

: The important thing to recognize is that you can
: identify the original source as Mesopotamian or Egyptian
: depending on whether the system is sexigesimal
: or septenary and whether the divisions are by palms or feet or both.

=== Egyptian Itrw and Atur ===
: The Itrw is an hour of travel on the river = 21,000 royal cubits
: The Atur is an hour of march on the land = 21,000 royal cubits
: The minute of march is a unit of 1 minutes travel = 350 royal cubits
: 21,000 royal cubits = 36,085 English feet = 6.83 modern miles
: It equaled 7.22 miles prior to the time of Queen Elizabeth
: That was 11 km or 7.43 Roman milliare.
: 75 Roman milliare are a pretty good value for a degree
: The Egyptian value for 10 itrw is a little less accurate
: and that probably explains the correction.

=== The Egyptian Minute of March as Stadion, Stadium, Furlong ===

: In Egypt the minute of march was 350 royal cubits long and
: an hour of march or itrw was 21,000 royal cubits long.
: The Greeks tell us they noted their
: measures of 6 plethrons and 8 stadions,
: were both the equivalent of the Apothem slant side of the Great Pyramid.
: The modern nautical mile was ten times the length of that Apothem.

: Using unit measures like the Stadion, Stadium and Furlong, which
: were originally used to lay out fields and gradually became
: defined as areas like the Aroura or thousand square royal cubits,
: the empire builders measured out their roads.

: The Greek Milos was originally 8 stadions or
: 600 Greek pous x 8 = 4800 pous
: The Pous came in long short and median variations
: so depending on which one you used the number of pous
: would vary even as the length of the stadion and
: Milos remained the same.
: 600 Attic pous were equal to 625 Ionian pous but
: both stadions were 185 meters long

: The Romans standard pes was the Ionian pous of 296 mm so
: they made their stadium of 185 meters
: egual to 625 pes or 1000 passus and
: that made their Milliare 5000 pes

: What makes that a great system for empire builders is that
: the passus is now a measure of the pace at which the army moves.
: If such standards of measure are well suited to
: controlling the movements of armies with milestones
: related to how much distance can be covered in a set period of time
: they are equally servicable to the needs of commerce.

: Just as the farmer can use the stone walls that border his field
: to help him restablish its boundaries after a flood,
: the community can establish its bounds in terms of
: how much land it needs to irrigate to sustain its population and
: the lugal or narmr (chief farmer)can determine
: how many men he needs to dig the irrigation system and
: how much land to alot to each oinkos, gene and phratre
: in return for their service. Its all very feudal.

: The city state is based on a market or agora that
: serves a number of communities which are
: spaced about as far apart as a man can walk in a day
: driving a team of oxen pulling a cart.

: When it takes more days to get the goods to market
: than it takes for the crops to spoil you need a new market.

=== Vestigal Remnant of ther English Cubit on the Stanley Tape Measure ===

: Pull out your standard everyday run of the mill Stanly tape measure and
: you should see a diamond at 19.2"
: That is the ancient ordinary English cubit and its
: the basis of the English League of three modern miles or
: anciently in the time when a mile was 8 furlongs of 600 feet,
: 14,400 ft and 9,000 diamonds.

=== Milliare based Roman area ===

: 1 square foot, pes quatratus ≈ 875 cm²
: 1 square perch, scripulum = 1 pertica quadrata ≈ 8.75 m²
: 1 aune of furrows, actus minimus = 1/30 actus quadratus ≈ 42 m²
: 1 rood, clima = ¼ actus quadratus = 36 scripuli ≈ 315 m²
: 1 acre, actus quadratus ≈ 1260 m²
: 1 yoke, iugerum = 2 actūs quadratus ≈ 2520 m²
: 1 morn, heredium = 2 iugera ≈ 5040 m²
: 1 centurie, centuria = 100 heredia ≈ 50.4 ha
: 1 “quadruplex”, saltus = 4 centuriæ ≈ 201.6 ha "-->

: When the Milos was 4800 pous the stadion was 600 pous and 185 m
: In a square Milos there were 64 square stadions and 576 aroura
: 560 acres =~ 576 aroura
: The square Milos became the Knights fee
: In a square stadion there were 9 aroura of 40,000 square pous
: each aroura had a side of 200 pous divisible into 2 plethrons
: each of the 2304 plethron in a square Milos had a side of 100 pous
: When the Milliare was 5000 pes the stadium was 625 pes and 185 m
: In a square Milliare there were still 64 square stadiums but
: There were also 25 square actus of 25 acres
: A Heridia was 1.25 Roman acres.
: there were 20 Heridis to a square Actus
: 1.25 Roman acres is 50,000 pied = side 217.15 Ft area 47,154.54 SF
: Each Jugerum was half a Heridium and Half a Jugerum was an acuna.
: 1 morn, heredium = 2 iugera ≈ 5040 m²
: 52990.96 SF is actually 1.22 modern English acres
: but the correct number is 1.08 acres a much closer correspondence.

: We have the Morgen a unit of area =~ .6309 acres. or 27, 482 SF
: We have the Egyptian st3t = 29526.69 SF
: We have the Greek aroura said to equal the st3t

: When the English Myle was 5000 fote the furlong was 625 fote and 185 m
: Each square furlong was divided into 25 square actus

: A Heridia was 1.25 acres so there were 20 Heridis to a square Actus
: If the Roman acre is 40,000 pied then
: the actus is 25 Roman acres and 1,000,000 pied
: Its side is 1000 pes or 1/5 Milliare

: The aroura or thousand of land (h3 t3)derives from Egypt
: Each Jugerum was half a Heridium (or 2/3 st3t) and
: Half a Jugerum was an acuna.
: 1 Roman acre, actus quadratus ≈ 1260 m² so
: a square actus quadratus has a side 119.92 pes = 116.46 SF
: its area is 13562.4 SF =~ 1/3 acre

: A Centuria was 100 Heredia or 125 acres or 5 square Actus
: in a square acre there were 40,000 square feet or fote
: each acre had a side of 200 feet

: When the Mile was made 5280 feet the furlong became 220 yards
: Each square furlong was divided into 10 acres or 8 Heridia
: each acre measured a perch by a furlong
: Each square furlong was half a square Actus
: Each Jugerum was half a Heridium and Half a Jugerum was an acuna.
: Each Furlong was 16 Jugerum and 32 acuna

: A Centuria was 100 Heredia, 12.5 square furlongs
: 125 acres or 5 square Actus was one
: in a square acre there were 40,000 square feet or fote
: each acre had a side of 200 feet

: The Romans conquered (much of) Britain,
: when it was inhabited by Celts, bringing with them their mile

: In Roman Europe The Bodelian manuscript tells us
: 14 acres maketh a yerde of land
: If those are Roman acres of 40,000 pied then
: the yerde is 12 English acres
: 5 yerdis maketh a hyde of land which is 70 acres 60 English acres
: 8 hydis maketh a knights fee which is 560 acres of land
: 560 Roman acres of land = 480 English acres

: Look at the confusion

: the redefinition of the Greek Milos by the Romans and
: The redefinition of the Milliare by the Elizabeathans, and
: The redefinition of the Mile by the Metric system

: brings to Europe.

: The Virgate - "An old English unit of area" is actually Roman in origin
: equal to one quarter of a hide = 1.25 yerdis = 17.5 acres
: The amount of land needed to support a person.
: The hide is at its root a German word for household,
: but also a Roman derived unit

: We are told that in the Saxon counties of southern England,
: it referred to the land sufficient to support one family,
: which equaled what the family plowed in a year.

: We are told that depending on the fertility of the land, the hide varied
: from as little as 60 to as many as 240 acres,
: but it was typically between 80 and 120 acres.
: Its 60 modern English, 70 Roman acres

: We are told that the bovate, 1/8 of a carucate,
: which also appears in the Domesday Book has its origin as Danish
: and it is found in the northeastern English counties
: constituting the Danelaw.

: Lets allow a carucata or carucate, like a hide,
: is approximately 120 acres and
: like the bovate was found in the Danish counties.
: A Plowland or plowgate is equal to a carucate or
: an area eight oxen can plow
: sufficient for a free family to support itself;
: its origins precede 1100 BC because the same language
: is found in Sumerian definitions of land

: We are told the plowland compares with the knight’s fee,
: which was a larger area sufficient to support a knight’s family
: (perhaps to allow pasture for animal husbandry).
: Sulung is a Kentish term for two hides.
: Its 120 modern English, 140 Roman acres

: A yoke in Kent is 1/4 of a sulung.
: A virgate is a rod in linear measure and 1/4 of a hide
: (or 30 acres) as a measure of area in Saxon counties.
: 30 acres is 1/4 sulong

: We have the Arpent a unit of length =~ 191.8 feet and
: the (square) arpent is a unit of area, area
: (180 old French 'pied', or foot) used in France, Louisiana, and Canada.
: approximately .845 acres, or 36,802 square feet

: We have the Morgen a unit of area =~ .6309 acres. or 27, 482 SF
: used in Germany, Holland and South Africa,
: derived from the German word Morgen ("morning").
" It represented the amount of land that could be plowed in a morning.

: The mile has always been divided in 8 stadions, stadiums and furlongs
: The Romans also divided the stadium into 5 actus of 125 pes
: The Greek Milos was the immediate predecessor to the Roman Milliare
: It derives its acre or aroura from
: The Mesopotamia iku which is 100 cubits to a side
: rather than from the Egyptian st3t which is also 100 cubits to a side

=== sources ===

a table of
the European measures listed by Ogilvy, Cowell Speed and others
such as George Buchanan's Rerum Scoticarum Historia (1582), which deals with the geography of the British Isles and of Scotland in particular.
from just before Queen Elizabeth changed them by statute in 1593
to the present day.

On old maps the scales are generally given in Milliaria which means the standard being used is Roman miles. Even is some areas of the United States, which were settled prior to 1593 you can find property defined by the older set of standards so that fields were laid out to a furlong which was 1/8 of a Myle of 5000 fote.


On Mercators map you can see the Roman Milliare is divided into 8 furlongs


"So far as I have tryed be cownt or experience I do find a common myle of our cowntrey to hold of ellns sixteen hundreth, sumtyms they ar longer, sumtyms they ar shorter, and very rudelie ar they cownted but I do hold this may be a just proportion to stand for all, being measured in a right lyne."

"I do find that 50 of our myles agreeth best of all to 60 Italian miles or a degree, wherupon I have followed out all the latituds of Scotland."

Cowell speaking of Scotland.

I read that to mean that a degree of latitude is taken as
60 miles in Italy, but 50 miles in Scotland and thus is related
to a Roman Mile of which there are 75 to a degree as 50/75
or in other words 1600 ellns = 3333.33 Roman feet of 296 mm

we can now compare

1/2 elln 616.67 mm = Greek pous of 308.4 mm
1/2 aln or alnar = 1 fot = 296 mm = 1 Roman pes

At the moment I have huge collections of such ancient datems
so I thought putting them in a table might be useful.

The idea is to see if its possible to track where
the standards of measure in the modern west have their roots.

As an architect I would describe this as a little like
trying to preserve an ancient building scheduled for demolition
to make way for a modern high rise.

: For Comparison all values are in mm

: Egyptian = E
: Greek = G
: Roman =R
: Danish = D
: Swedish = S
: Finish = F
: Germanic = G
: Norwegian = N
: Viking = V
: French = Fr
: Spanish = Sp
: Pictish = Pi
: Scots = Sc
: American = US

{|
|-
|Who changed ||Wllm||Mgna Crta||Hnry VII||Elzbth||Jffrsn||Nat Stnd
|-
|When changed||1096||1303||1497||1593||1816||1959||post 1959
|-
|fingers||19.3||18.5||18||19.05
|-
|thumbs||25.7||24.67||24||25.4
|-
|palms||77.1||74||72||76.2
|-
|hands||96.4||92.5||90||95.25
|-
|fists||115.7||111||108||114.3
|-
|spans||192.75||185||180||190.5
|-
|feet||308.4||296||288|||304.8
|-
|remen||385.5||370||360||381
|-
|small cubit||462.6||444||432||457.2
|-
|large cubit||539.7||518||504||533.4
|-
|E nibw or dbl ft||Sc ellen 616.67||V aln 592||576||609.6
|-
|double remen||771||740||720||762
|-
|Greater Length
|-
|yard||3/2 Sc ellen 7925.5||888||864||914.4
|-
|pace||1542||1480||1440||1524
|-
|fathom||1850.4||1776||1728||1828.8
|-
|rod||5088.6||4884||4752||5029.2
|-
|cord||18.5||17.76m||17.28m||18.288m
|-
|sos||185m||185m||172.8m||182.88m
|-
|mile||1480m||1480m||1440m||1524m
|-
|itrw||11.1km||11.1km||10.8km||11.43km
|-
|degree||111km||111km||108km||11.43 km
|-
|Area
|-
|garden plot||
|-
|field||
|-
|acre||
|-
|square furlong||
|-
|square mile||
|-
|Volume
|-
|cu in||
|-
|cu palm||
|-
|cu hand||
|-
|cu cubit||
|-
|Talent
|-
|cu remen||
|-
|cu royal cubit||
|-
|cu yard||
|-
|cu fathom||
|-
|Weight
|-
|cu in||
|-
|cu palm||
|-
|cu hand||
|-
|cu cubit||
|-
|Talent
|-
|cu remen||
|-
|cu royal cubit||
|-
|cu yard||
|-
|cu fathom||
|-
|}


The length of Scotland upon the East coast from Dungisbie head to Barwick upon a straight lyne of north and south is 160 myles. but upon the west syd it is much more to Sulway firth and Eskmouth for theis ly upon south westward from Barwick
Latitude of Dungisbie head according to Mr Timothie Ponts his setting down is 58 Gr. 32 M.
the nordermost poynt of all the Orkney Yles according to him is 59 Gr 24 M.
The soudermost poynt of Schetland be him also is 60 Gr. 3 M.
The nordermost poynt of Shetland be him is 61 Gr 6 m.
Be his reconing ther runn of Scottish myles - 51 to a degree of latitude and 10 Scottish myles answer to 12 English myles.

Edinburgh is set be him in his mappe of Lothian under 55 Gr 46 m. According to his reconing in that mappe - 15 Scottish myles do answer to 20 minuts of Latitude so that therby 45 of our myles do mak a degree, but it is falss, for be his cownt Dungsbie head sould fal to be 58 Gr. 51 m. which yit in his mappe of Orkney he maketh to be onlie 58 Gr. 32 so that the difference is 19 m.

So far as I have tryed be cownt or experience I do find a common myle of our cowntrey to hold of ellns sixteen hundreth, sumtyms they ar longer, sumtyms they ar shorter, and very rudelie ar they cownted but I do hold this may be a just proportion to stand for all, being measured in a right lyne.

Now comparing the latitude of placis in our cowntrey, be sum few observations of utheris, I do find a sensible difference among them, and Mr Timothie in his mappes of Lothian and Orkney doth not agrie with himself, wherfor casting all that asyd, in Latitude I have followed Cambden and the English as most accurat, who place Berwick under 55 Gr. 48 M and I do find that 50 of our myles agreeth best of all to 60 Italian miles or a degree, wherupon I have followed out all the latituds of Scotland.

Cowell


: Break out your Stanley Tape measure and look for the diamond at 19.2"
: It comes right after the arrow at 16" which is used by carpenters
: to frame studs so that a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood
: will land on the studs.

: 19.2 " divides eight feet into five parts instead of 6
: An English cubit of 19.2" has 6 palms and 24 fingers of 20.32 mm or .8"

: Egyptian finger (''dj'') :≈ 18.75 mm
: Egyptian palm (''ssp'') := 4 dj ≈ 75 mm
: Egyptian hand (''spd'') := 5 dj ≈ 93.75 mm

: 1 cubic foot (12″): = 1 ft³
: 1 cubic remen (15.12 "):≈ 2 ft³
: (an Egyptian measure of ≈14.5" adopted by Romans as ≈15" )
: 1 cubic short cubit (17.307"):≈ 3 ft³
: 1 cubic ordinary cubit (17.575"):≈ π ft³
: 1 cubic English cubit (19.2″) :≈ 4 ft³
: 1 cubic royal cubit (20.52") :≈ 5 ft³
: 1 cubic cubit (6 ''spd'' = 21.8″) :≈ 6 ft³
: 6 spd/cubit × 5 dj/spd × 18.75 mm/dj / 25.4 mm/in ≈ 22.15 in/cubit
: 1 cubic cubit (31 ''dj'' = 22.96″) :≈ 7 ft³
: 24″ × 24″ × 24″ := 8 ft³
: 1 cubic meter : = 7 royal cubits³

: 360 Mesopotamian ''ku'' (500 mm) :≈ 180 m
: 350 Egyptian royal cubits := 1 minute of march ≈ 183.3 m
: 1 ''stadion'' := 600 Attic ''pous'' (308.3 mm) ≈ 185 m =
: 1 ''stadium'' := 625 Ionian ''pous'' = 625 Roman ''pes'' (296 mm) ≈ 185 m
: 10 ''stadia'' :≈ 1 nautical mile

: "1 English furlong : ca. 200 m
: This unit hadn't changed in length (significiantly) for millenia
: until the time of Queen Elizabeth. Originating with the Mesopotamia Sos and
: copied to Egypt, Greece, Persia and Rome it entered Britain and
: the Continent as the stadium, 1/8th of a (Roman) milliare.
: Today it is redefined as 1/8th of the English statute mile of 1593 (QE1).
: 5280 milliari = 5000 statute miles

: European units from Romania, Norway, Norman France,
: Germany, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Scotland, Finland,
: are also multiples of Greek and Roman units.

: Ell
: "The "ell" is an ancient measure of length,...
: mentioned explicitly in the Magna Charta,...
: reluctantly signed by King John on 15 June 1215.
: This document contains sixty-three pledges or clauses;
: the thirty-fifth is the "measurements" pledge.
: Translated from the medieval Latin into modern English,
: this clause reads: "Throughout the Kingdom
: there shall be standard measures of wine, ale, and corn.
: Also there shall be a standard width of dyed cloth, russet,
: and haberject; namely a width of two ells within the selvedges.
: Weights also are to be standardized similarly."

: One of the earliest of all tables of English linear mesures,
: Richard Arnold's Customs of London, c. 1503,
: contains the following sequence ...
: The length of a barley corn 3 times make an ynche and
: 12 ynches make a fote and
: 3 fote make a yerde and
: 5 qaters of the yerde make an elle.
: 5 fote make a pace.
: 123 pace make a furlong
: and 8 furlong make an English myle

: Sources:
: The World of Measurements, by H. Arthur Klein,
: 736 pages, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1974, SBN 671215655

: http://www.littletechshoppe.com/ns1625/nshist03.html

: 600 Roman/Greek ''stadia'' 111 km, 60 nautical miles
: or 75 Roman miles (''milliare''))
: The comment was added " one degree of Earth" which is meaningless
: Its one degree of the earth's equatorial circumference.
: The discussion of such calculations can be found in Ptolomy's geography

: The following question seems a bit naive.

:: My metrology knowledge in fact is better after mediæval times than before or even inside, but what reason would QE1 have had to increase the number of feet or yards in (and the length of) a mile, if not making eight existing furlongs its new size?

: Every time a standard of measure is changed, somebody benefits economically. Someone's acres get larger and they own more land and can charge more in rent or tithes or taxes. Queen Elizabeth clearly had advisors who stood to gain if they suceeded in changing the standards of measure. When they sold her that bill of goods they set the stage for Napoleon and the metric system.

: The mile has always been divided in 8 stadions, stadiums and furlongs
: The Romans also divided the stadium into 5 actus of 125 pes
: When the Milos was 4800 pous the stadion was 600 pous and 185 m
: In a square Milos there were 64 square stadions and 576 aroura

: The Bodelian manuscript dates from this period
: 14 acres maketh a yerde of land
: 5 yerdis maketh a hyde of land which is 70 acres
: 8 hydis maketh a knights fee which is 560 acres of land

: Look at the confusion
: the redefinition of the Greek Milos by the Romans and
: The redefinition of the Milliare by the Elizabeathans, and
: The redefinition of the Mile by the Metric system brings to Europe.

: Virgate - An old English unit of area,
: equal to one quarter of a hide = 1.25 yerdis = 17.5 acres
: The amount of land needed to support a person.

: The hide is at its root a German word for household.
: In the Saxon counties of southern England,
: it referred to the land sufficient to support one family,
: which equaled what the family plowed in a year.

: Depending on the fertility of the land, the hide varied
: from as little as 60 to as many as 240 acres,
: but it was typically between 80 and 120.
: Bovate
: The bovate, 1/8 of a carucate, also appears in the Domesday Book.
: Its origin is Danish and it is found
: in the northeastern English counties constituting the Danelaw.
: Carucate
: A carucata or carucate, like a hide, is approximately 120 acres and
: like the bovate was found in the Danish counties.
: Plowland or plowgate is equal to a carucate or
: an area eight oxen can plow
: sufficient for a free family to support itself;
: its origins precede 1100.
: Plowland
: The plowland compares with the knight’s fee, which was a larger area
: sufficient to support a knight’s family
: (perhaps to allow pasture for animal husbandry).
: Sulung is a Kentish term for two hides.
: A yoke in Kent is 1/4 of a sulung.
: Virigate
: A virgate is a rod in linear measure and 1/4 of a hide
: (or 30 acres) as a measure of area in Saxon counties.
: Arpent
: Arpent - Unit of length and area used in France, Louisiana, and Canada.
: As a unit of length, =~ 191.8 feet (180 old French 'pied', or foot).
: The (square) arpent is a unit of area,
: approximately .845 acres, or 36,802 square feet
: Morgen
: Morgen - Unit of area =~ .6309 acres. or 27, 482 SF
: It was used in Germany, Holland and South Africa,
: and was derived from the German word Morgen ("morning").
: It represented the amount of land that could be plowed in a morning.
: Greek, Roman English Measures
: 560 acres =~ 576 aroura
: The square Milos has become the Knights fee
: in a square stadion there were 9 aroura of 40,000 square pous
: each aroura had a side of 200 pous divisible into 2 plethrons
: each of the 2304 plethron in a square Milos had a side of 100 pous
: When the Milliare was 5000 pes the stadium was 625 pes and 185 m
: In a square Milliare there were still 64 square stadiums but
: There were also 25 square actus of 25 acres
: A Heridia was 1.25 acres so there were 20 Heridis to a square Actus
: Each Jugerum was half a Heridium and Half a Jugerum was an acuna.
: A Centuria was 100 Heredia or 125 acres or 5 square Actus
: in a square acre there were 40,000 square pes or pedes
: each acre had a side of 200 pes

: When the Myle was 5000 fote the furlong was 625 fote and 185 m
: Each square furlong was divided into 25 square actus
: A Heridia was 1.25 acres so there were 20 Heridis to a square Actus
: Each Jugerum was half a Heridium and Half a Jugerum was an acuna.
: A Centuria was 100 Heredia or 125 acres or 5 square Actus
: in a square acre there were 40,000 square feet or fote
: each acre had a side of 200 feet

: When the Mile was made 5280 feet the furlong became 220 yards
: Each square furlong was divided into 10 acres or 8 Heridia
: each acre measured a perch by a furlong
: Each square furlong was half a square Actus
: Each Jugerum was half a Heridium and Half a Jugerum was an acuna.
: Each Furlong was 16 Jugerum and 32 acuna
: A Centuria was 100 Heredia, 12.5 square furlongs
: 125 acres or 5 square Actus was one
: in a square acre there were 40,000 square feet or fote
: each acre had a side of 200 feet
: The Romans conquered (much of) Britain,
: when it was inhabited by Celts, bringing with them their mile.
: to be adopted by Germanic, Anglo-Saxon, Norman, and Nordic people
: Like the peoples their systems of measurement merged.

=== External Links===


http://users.primushost.com/~whittet/measures.htm


Others miles are:
; Russian verst: 1066.8 m (exactly 3500 feet = ca. 1168 yards) of 500 sazhen ; Russian verst: 1066.8 m (exactly 3500 feet = ca. 1168 yards) of 500 sazhen
; Scotch mile: 1814.2 m (1984 yards) of 320 falls<!--2.622 km?--> ; Scotch mile: 1814.2 m (1984 yards) of 320 falls<!--2.622 km?-->

Revision as of 08:47, 8 August 2005

A mile is any of several units of distance, or, in physics terminology, of length. Today, one mile (often called "statute mile") is equal to about 1609 m on land and one nautical mile to exactly 1852 m at sea and in the air. See below for the details. Abbreviations for mile are "mi" in the U.S., and "ml" and "m" in the UK.

There are various miles, however:

  • The statute mile, or more specifically
    • The international mile is the one typically meant when the word mile is used without qualification. It is defined to be precisely 1760 international yards (by definition, 0.9144 m each); it is therefore exactly 1609.344 m. It is used in the United States and the United Kingdom as part of the Imperial system of units. The international mile is equivalent to 8 furlongs, or 80 chains, or 5280 international feet.
    • The U.S. survey mile is precisely equal to 5280 U.S. survey feet or 6336/3937 km or, approximately 1609.347 m. One international mile is precisely equal to 0.999 998 survey mile. The survey mile is used by the United States Public Land Survey System.
    • The statute mile simply means a mile of 5280 feet, without specifying which foot is used. The term is therefore ambiguous.
  • The international nautical mile is defined to be exactly 1852 m. It is used universally for aviation, naval and maritime purposes and originated from the geographical mile.
  • In Norway and Sweden, a distance of 10 km is most commonly referred to as a mile, see mil.

History

Throughout history many units of length named mile have been used, with widely differing definitions, originating with the Roman mile of approximately 1479 m. A Roman mile consisted of 1000 "double steps", or two strides by a Roman soldier. The Latin term for each such double stride is a passus having a length of 5 Roman feet or approximately 4.83 English feet. The word mile itself has been derived from the words mille passus (plural millia passuum), a thousand paces. Along the roads built by the Romans throughout Europe, it was common to erect a stone every mile to announce the distance to Rome, the so-called milestones. The noun milliarium (plural milliaria), designating a milestone, was also used as a figurative alternative for mile.

In navigation, the geographical mile was commonly used, defined as 1 minute of arc along the Earth's equator, approximately equal to 1855 m.

The name statute mile goes back to Queen Elizabeth I of England who redefined the mile from 5000 feet to 8 furlongs (5280 feet) by statute in 1593.

When the international mile became legal in mid-1959, the survey mile was retained for measurements derived from U.S. cadastral surveys.

In Denmark and most of Germany the mile in the 19th century was an approximately 7.5 km geographical mile (determined by 4 minutes of arc) specified by Ole Rømer. In parts of Germany there also existed an exact 7.5 km "metric mile" variant, but it mostly went out of use at the beginning of the 20th century. The Ole Rømer mile was for a long time used as a sea mile in Scandinavia, but was in the middle of the 20th century replaced by the international nautical mile (which corresponds to 1 minute of arc). The international nautical mile is still often referred to by traditionalist Scandinavians as a quarter mile. In Norway and Sweden, a mile in daily speech refers to a traditional unit that is still very commonly used, but now defined as 10 km, see mil.

In Ireland the Irish mile of 2240 yards (about 2048.3 m) was used legally until 1826, and by some reports survived until the conversion to the metre as the unit measurement for distance, in early January 2005.

The 'Collins English Dictionary' defines a sea mile as 1828.8 m (6000 feet), being "an Imperial unit of length, formerly used in navigation".


Others miles are:

Russian verst
1066.8 m (exactly 3500 feet = ca. 1168 yards) of 500 sazhen
Scotch mile
1814.2 m (1984 yards) of 320 falls
Austrian Meile
7585.9 m (8296 yards) of 240 Ruten (rods) or 400 Klafter (fathoms)

See also

External links

Categories: