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The Greek system of weights and measures was built mainly upon the Egyptian, and formed the basis of the later Roman system.
Length
Like the Mesopotamian units, where the cubit or ku was divided into two different digits (shusi of about 17 mm or uban of about 20 mm) and hands (qat), the Greek units also have long, median and short forms.
- The Ionian pous is a typical short pous measuring 296 mm
- The Attic pous measures 309.4 mm
- The Athenian pous measures 316 mm and is considered of median length
- Long pous are actually remen (4 hands) and pygons
- See cubits for the discussion of the choice of division into hands or palms
Generally the sexagesimal or decimal multiples have Mesopotamian origins while the septenary multiples have Egyptian origins.
| Unit | Daktylos | Metre | feet or podes |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1 "shusi") = | 1 (little finger) | = 14.49 mm | = 0.05 feet or podes |
| 1 daktylos = | 1 (ring finger) | = 19.275 mm | = 0.06 feet or podes |
| 1 uncia ≈ | 1.33 (thumb or inch) | = 25.64 mm | = 0.08 feet or podes |
| 1 condylos = | 2 (daktylos) | = 38.55 mm | = 0.13 feet or podes |
| 1 palaiste, palm = | 4 (daktylos) | = 77.1 mm | = 0.25 feet or podes (= 1 palm) |
| 1 dichas = | 8 (daktylos) | = 154.2 mm | = 0.51 feet or podes (= 2 palms) |
| 1 spithame = | 12 (daktylos) | = 231.3 mm | = 0.76 feet or podes (= 3 palms) |
| 1 pous, foot = | 16 (daktylos) | = 308.4 mm | = 1.01 feet or podes (= 4 palms) |
| 1 pygon, remen = | 20 (daktylos) | = 385.5 mm | = 1.26 feet or podes (= 5 palms) |
| 1 pechya, cubit = | 24 (daktylos) | = 462.6 mm | = 1.52 feet or podes (= 6 palms) |
| 1 English cubit ≈ | 25 (daktylos) | = 493.44 mm | = 1.62 feet or podes |
| 1 Egyptian royal cubit ≈ | 28 (daktylos) | = 539.7 mm | = 1.77 feet or podes (= 7 palms) |
| 1 bema = | 40 (daktylos) | = 771 mm | = 2.53 feet or podes (= 10 palms = 1 double remen) |
| 1 yard ≈ | 48 (daktylos) | = 925.2 mm | = 3.04 feet or podes (= 12 palms) |
| 1 xylon = | 72 (daktylos) | = 1.3878 m | = 4.55 feet or podes (= 18 palms) |
| 1 passus = | 80 (daktylos) | = 1.542 m | = 5 feet or podes (= 20 palms = 1 Roman Pace) |
| 1 orguia = | 96 (daktylos) | = 1.8504 m | = 6 feet or podes (= 24 palms = 1 fathom) |
| 1 akaina = | 160 (daktylos) | = 3.084 m | = 10 feet or podes (= 40 palms) |
| 1 English rod ≈ | 264 (daktylos) | = 5.0886 m | = 17 feet or podes (= 66 palms) |
| 1 hayt = | 280 (daktylos) | = 5.397 m | = 18 feet or podes (= 70 palms = 10 royal cubits) |
| 1 perch ≈ | 1056 (daktylos) | = 20.3544 m | = 66 feet or podes (= 264 palms) |
| 1 plethron = | 1600 (daktylos) | = 30.84 m | = 100 feet or podes (= 400 palms) |
| 1 actus = | 1920 (daktylos) | = 37.008 m | = 120 feet or podes (= 480 palms) |
| khet side = | 2800 (daktylos) | = 53.97 m | = 175 feet or podes (= 700 palms = 100 royal cubits) |
| English acre side = | 3333 (daktylos) | = 64.359 m | = 208.71 feet or podes (= 835 palms) |
| 1 Persian stade = | 8400 (daktylos) | = 161.9 m | = 525 feet or podes (= 2100 palms) |
| 1 minute = | 9336 (daktylos) | = 180 m | = 300 great cubits (= 2334 palms) |
| 1 minute of march = | 9500 (daktylos) | = 183.3 m | = 350 royal cubits (= 2450 palms) |
| 1 stadion = | 9600 (daktylos) | = 185 m | = 600 Greek pous (= 2400 palms) |
| 1 Roman stadium = | 9600 (daktylos) | = 185 m | = 625 Roman pes (= 2400 palms) |
| 1 Olympic stadios = | 10000 (daktylos) | = 192.8 m | = 625 Greek pous (= 2500 palms) |
| 1 English furlong = | 10560 (daktylos) | = 203.544 m | = 660 Greek pous (= 2640 palms) |
| 1 Ptolomaic stade, cable = | 11520 (daktylos) | = 222 m | = 720 Greek pous (= 2880 palms) |
| 1 stade of Eratosthenes = | 12000 (daktylos) | = 231 m | = 750 Greek pous (= 3000 palms) |
| 1 diaulos = | 19200 (daktylos) | = 370 m | = 1200 Greek pous (= 4800 palms) |
| 1 millos = | 80000 (daktylos) | = 1.542 km | = 5000 Greek pous (= 20000 palms) |
| 1 English mile ≈ | 84480 (daktylos) | = 1.628352 km | = 5280 English feet (= 21120 palms) |
| 1 dolichos = | 115200 (daktylos) | = 2.221056 km | = 7200 Greek pous (= 28800 palms) |
| 1 stadia of Xenophon = | 280000 (daktylos) | = 5.397 km | = 17500 Greek pous (= 70000 palms) |
| 1/10 degree = | 560000 (daktylos) | = 10.797 km | = 35000 Greek pous (= 140000 palms) |
| 1 schœnus = | 576000 (daktylos) | = 11.1024 km | = 36000 Greek pous (= 144000 palms) |
| 1 stathmos = | 1280000 (daktylos) | = 24.672 km | = 80000 Greek pous (= 320000 palms) |
| 1 degree = | 5760000 (daktylos) | = 111 km | = 360000 Greek pous (= 1440000 palms) |
- 1 daktulos (pl. daktuloi), digit
- = 1/16 pous
- 1 condulos
- = 1/8 pous
- 1 palaiste, palm
- = ¼ pous
- 1 dikhas
- = ½ pous
- 1 spithame, span
- = ¾ pous
- 1 pous (pl. podes), foot
- ≈ 316 mm, said to be 3/5 Egyptian royal cubit. There are variations, from 296 mm (Ionic) to 326 mm (Doric)
- 1 pugon, Homeric cubit
- = 1¼ podes
- 1 pechua, cubit
- = 1½ podes ≈ 47.4 cm
- 1 bema, pace
- = 2½ podes
- 1 khulon
- = 4½ podes
- 1 orguia, fathom
- = 6 podes
- 1 akaina
- = 10 podes
- 1 plethron (pl. plethra)
- = 100 podes, a cord measure
- 1 stadion (pl. stadia)
- = 6 plethra = 600 podes ≈ 185.4 m.
- 1 diaulos (pl. diauloi)
- = 2 stadia, only used for the Olympic footrace introduced in 724 BC.
- 1 dolikhos
- = 6 or 12 diauloi. Only used for the Olympic footrace introduced in 720 BC.
- 1 parasanges
- = 30 stadia ≈ 5.5 km. Persian measure used by Xenophon, for instance.
- 1 skhoinos (pl. skhoinoi), lit. “reefs”
- 60 stadia ≈ 11.1 km (usually), based on Egyptian river measure iter or atur, for variants see there.
- 1 stathmos
- ≈ 25 km, one day’s journey. May have been variable, dependent on terrain.
For reference, the stadion at Olympus measures 192.3 m. With a widespread use throughout antiquity, there were many variants of a stadion, from as low as 157 m up to 211 m, but it is usually stated as 185.4 m.
The Greek root stadios means to have standing. Stadions are used to measure the sides of fields.
In the time of Herodotus the standard Attic stadion used for distance measure is 600 pous of 308.4 mm egual to 185 m. so that 600 stadia egual one degree and are combined at 8 to a mia chilioi or thousand which measures the boustredon or path of yoked oxen as a distance of a thousand orguia, taken as one orguia wide which defines an aroura or thousand of land and at 10 agros or chains equal to one nauticle mile of 1850 m.
Several centuries later Marinus and Ptolomy used 500 stadia to a degree but their stadi were composed of 600 remen of 370 mm and measured 222 m so the measurement of the degree was the same.
The same is also true for Eratosthenes who used 700 stadia of 157.5 m or 300 Egyptian royal cubits to a degree, and for Aristotle, Poseidonus and Archimedes whose stadia likewise measured the same degree.
Area
- aroura = ~2700 m². The ground covered by a yoke of ploughing oxen in one day.
Volume
- 1 kotule (pl. kotulai)
- = ¼ kheonix, liquid measure
- 1 khœnix (pl khœnikes), khoinix
- ≈ 1.1 l, initially used for wheat
- 1 modios, bushel
- = 8 kheonikes
- 1 medimnos
- = 48 kheonikes
Dry measures:
- 1 kotule
- = 6 kuathoi
- 1 khous
- = 12 kotulai
- 1 metretes
- = 12 choes ≈ 34 l
Weight and monetary
- 1 medimnos
- ≈ 25 kg
- 1 talent
- = 60 minae
- 1 mina
- = 100 drachmae
- 1 decadrachm
- = 10 drachmae, coin only
- 1 tetradrachm
- = 4 drachmae, coin only
- 1 stater, didrachmon
- = 2 drachmae, coin only
- 1 drachma
- = 4.5–6 g, weight of silver coin
- 1 diobolus
- = 2 oboloi = 1/3 drachmae
- 1 obolus
- = 1/6 drachma, silver
- 1 chalkos
- = 1/8 obolus, copper
Miscellaneous
- muriade
- 10.000