Plethron: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Ancient unit of Greek measurement (unit of length)}} |
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A PLETHRON is 100 Greek Feet, a measurement used in Ancient times. It is roughly the width of a typical athletic running-track, and was used as the standard width and length of a Wrestling square, since [[wrestling]] competitions were held on the racing track in early times. |
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'''Plethron''' ({{lang-grc-gre|{{linktext|πλέθρον}}}}, plural ''plethra'') is an ancient unit of Greek measurement equal to 97 to 100 [[pous|Greek feet]] (ποῦς, ''pous''; c. 30 centimeters),<ref>{{Cite web| author = Calvert, J.B. |
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| date = 13 May 2010 | title = Old Units of Length | department=MySite.DU.edu | publisher = University of Denver | url=https://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/tech/oldleng.htm |access-date = 3 March 2020}} Original creation date, 3 July 1999.</ref>{{better source|date=March 2020}} although the measures for plethra may have varied from [[polis]] to polis.{{citation needed | date = March 2020}} This was roughly the width of a typical ancient Greek athletic running-track.{{citation needed | date = March 2020}} |
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A plethron could also be used as a unit of measured area, and reference to the unit in defining the size of a wrestling area is made by [[Libanius]].<ref>[[Libanius]], ''[[Orationes]]'', Chapter 10.{{full|date=March 2020}}</ref>{{full|date=March 2020}}{{primary source inline|date=March 2020}} A square plethron of c. 30 by 30 meters was used as the standard dimensions of a [[Greek wrestling]] square, since such competitions were held within the racing track in ancient Greece.{{citation needed | date = March 2020}} In other connotations, it functioned as the [[Greek units|Greek]] [[acre]], and varied in size to accommodate the amount of land a team of oxen could plow in a day.{{citation needed | date = March 2020}} |
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A plethron being given as the size of the wrestling area is given us by [[Libanius]] in [[Orationes]] Chapter 10. |
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The plethron continued to be used in the [[Byzantine Empire]], where its variant uses were ultimately codified<!-- among different [[themata|themes]]{{what}} --> to refer to an area defined by sides of 100 feet or 40 [[pace (unit of length)|pace]]s (βῆμα, bema).<ref name=vlm>{{cite journal | author = Ménage, V. L. | date = 1973 | title = Review of Speros Vryonis, Jr. 'The decline of medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor and the process of islamization from the eleventh through the fifteenth century' [Berkeley, 1971] | journal = Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies | publisher = University of London | volume = 36 | issue = 3 | pages = 659–661 | doi = 10.1017/S0041977X00120117 | jstor = 613605 }} See also Schilbach, Erich (date not provided) ''Byzantinische Metrologie''.{{full|date=March 2020}}</ref> Ultimately, the unit came to be known as the "[[stremma]]", which continues as a metric unit in modern Greece.<ref name=vlm/> |
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==See also== |
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* [[Acre]] |
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* [[Byzantine units]] |
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* [[Greek units]] |
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* [[Roman units]] |
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* [[Stremma]] |
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== References == |
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{{reflist}} |
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==Further reading== |
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* {{Cite web |author=Calvert, J. B. |date=13 May 2010 |orig-year=Original creation date 3 July 1999 |title=Old Units of Length |url=https://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/tech/oldleng.htm |department=MySite.DU.edu |publisher=University of Denver |access-date=3 March 2020}} |
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{{Hellenic measurement}} |
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[[Category:Ancient Greek units of measurement]] |
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[[Category:Society of the Byzantine Empire]] |
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{{AncientGreece-stub}} |
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Latest revision as of 21:20, 12 November 2023
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2020) |
Plethron (Greek: πλέθρον, plural plethra) is an ancient unit of Greek measurement equal to 97 to 100 Greek feet (ποῦς, pous; c. 30 centimeters),[1][better source needed] although the measures for plethra may have varied from polis to polis.[citation needed] This was roughly the width of a typical ancient Greek athletic running-track.[citation needed]
A plethron could also be used as a unit of measured area, and reference to the unit in defining the size of a wrestling area is made by Libanius.[2][full citation needed][non-primary source needed] A square plethron of c. 30 by 30 meters was used as the standard dimensions of a Greek wrestling square, since such competitions were held within the racing track in ancient Greece.[citation needed] In other connotations, it functioned as the Greek acre, and varied in size to accommodate the amount of land a team of oxen could plow in a day.[citation needed]
The plethron continued to be used in the Byzantine Empire, where its variant uses were ultimately codified to refer to an area defined by sides of 100 feet or 40 paces (βῆμα, bema).[3] Ultimately, the unit came to be known as the "stremma", which continues as a metric unit in modern Greece.[3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Calvert, J.B. (13 May 2010). "Old Units of Length". MySite.DU.edu. University of Denver. Retrieved 3 March 2020. Original creation date, 3 July 1999.
- ^ Libanius, Orationes, Chapter 10.[full citation needed]
- ^ a b Ménage, V. L. (1973). "Review of Speros Vryonis, Jr. 'The decline of medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor and the process of islamization from the eleventh through the fifteenth century' [Berkeley, 1971]". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 36 (3). University of London: 659–661. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00120117. JSTOR 613605. See also Schilbach, Erich (date not provided) Byzantinische Metrologie.[full citation needed]
Further reading[edit]
- Calvert, J. B. (13 May 2010) [Original creation date 3 July 1999]. "Old Units of Length". MySite.DU.edu. University of Denver. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
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