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Ancient Greek Units Of Measurement
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= 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.

; 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'', Homer ic 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 ''.
; 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. âœreefs❠: 60 ''stadia'' ∠11.1 km (usually), based on Egyptian River Measure ''iter'' or ''atur'', for variants see there.
; 1 ''stathmos'' :∠25 km, one dayâ™s journey. May have been variable, dependent on terrain.
For reference, the stadion at Olympia 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 Ptolemy 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.

The 1771 Encyclopædia Britannica mentions a measure named ac√ɬ¶na which was a rod ten (greek) feet long used in measuring land.


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'' :∠40 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 '' := 4.5â“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


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