Old weights and measures (ancient)
This article aims to give an overview of the ancient systems of measurement in the Mediterranean.
Mesopotamian system
Mesopotamia spans several cultures. The Sumerian number system is based on the base 60 ( sexagesimal system .) It is the origin for the division of hours and angles that is still valid today.
Lengths
| Description | conversion | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Še ( stye ) | 6 Še = 1 finger width | ≈ 2.88 mm (Sumerian) ≈ 2.69 mm (Babylonian) |
| (Finger width) | 1 ⁄ 16 feet = 1 ⁄ 30 cubit | ≈ 1.73 cm (Sumerian) ≈ 1.61 cm (Babylonian) |
| (Foot) | 1 foot = 16 finger widths | ≈ 27.66 cm - Sumerian ruler Gudea of Lagash around 2575 BC BC, the oldest surviving measure of length |
| kù (Sumerian) ammatu (Akkadian) |
1 cubit = 30 finger widths | The Cubit copper rod from Nippur , the oldest known reference measure, defines the Sumerian cubit to be approx. 518.5 mm, which was widespread in the third millennium BC. It was divided into 30 fingers. The Babylonian (or Salamis) cubit was 484 mm. For comparison: The Tower of Babel should measure 120 × 120 cubits inside. |
| ( Pipe ) / canoe | 6 cubits | about 3 meters |
| ( UŠ ) Še | 60 cubits = 10 pipe | about 30 meters |
| (Stadion) | about 148.5 meters | |
| ( NER ) | 600 cubits = 10 UŠ | about 300 meters |
| ( SAR ) | 3600 cubits = 6 NER | about 1.8 km |
| (Parasang) | about 5.6 km | |
| ( BERU ) | 6 SAR | about 10.5 km −− Sumerian originally Danna , which later served as a unit of time |
| Subban | variable, between 26 and 30 meters |
Surfaces
| Description | conversion | |
|---|---|---|
| E | ammatu² | 0.25 m² |
| gin | 3 se | 0.75 m² |
| Sar | 180 Se = 60 gin | 45 m² |
| Gan | 10,800 Se = 180 Sar | 8100 m² |
| iku | Property surrounded by a canal and a dike | 100 sar , possibly 120 × 120 cubit² |
| Bur | 18 iku | 63,510.48 m² |
The values listed above are incompatible with the Bur value. The value related to the absolute Bur dimension is for Še = 0.196 m², for Gan = 2,117.02 m².
volume
| Description | conversion | |
|---|---|---|
| log | 0.54 l | |
| homer | 720 log | 388.8 l |
| Sila | 0.842 L. | |
| ban | 10 Sila | 8.42 l |
Weight and currency
| Description | conversion | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| še | Sesame grain (compare grain ) | approx. 47 mg | Hammurapi approx. 1700 BC Chr. |
| šiklûm (also gin and sekel, shekal, shekel ) | 180 se | approx. 8.36 g | |
| manûm (also Ma.na and Mine) | 60 siklûm | approx. 501.6 g | |
| biltûm (also Gún and Talent) | 60 mines | approx. 30 kg | |
| Pim | 7.18 ... 8.13 g | King Saul approx. 1000 BC Chr. | |
time
| designation | Explanation |
|---|---|
| (Year) | The Sumerians had been using it since the 21st century BC. A year of 360 days |
| (Week) | The Babylonians introduced the week to seven days. Since 7 was an unlucky number, the corresponding day was off work. |
| Danna (double lesson) | The division of the day into two times twelve hours goes back to Mesopotamia. They were not of the same length over the year, as one was guided by sunrise and sunset. |
Egyptian system
Greek system
The Greek system of measurement is mainly based on the Egyptian and in turn served as the basis of the Roman.
Lengths
| Description | original | translation | conversion | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| daktylos (Pl. daktyloi ) |
δάκτυλος (Pl. δάκτυλοι ) |
finger | 1 daktylos = 1 ⁄ 16 pous | |
| condulos | κόνδυλος | Bone joint | 2 daktyloi = 1 ⁄ 8 pous | |
| palaiste | παλαιστή | Hand (palm) | 4 daktyloi = 1 ⁄ 4 pous | |
| dichasis | δίχασις | half | 8 daktyloi = 1 ⁄ 2 pous | |
| spithame | σπιθαμή | Span | 12 daktyloi = 3 ⁄ 4 pous | |
| pous (pl. podes ) |
πούς (Pl. πόδες ) |
foot | 16 daktyloi | Attic-Ionic foot: 296 mm. Others: 31.6 cm, allegedly 3/5 Egypt. Königselle. Varies from 29.6 cm (ionic) to 32.6 cm (Doric) |
| pygme | πυγμή | fist | 18 daktyloi = 1 1 ⁄ 8 pous | |
| pygon | πυγών | Homeric cubit | 20 daktyloi = 5 ⁄ 4 pous | |
| pechus | πῆχυς | Cubit | 24 daktyloi = 3 ⁄ 2 pous | 47.4 cm |
| bema | βῆμα | step | 40 daktyloi = 2 1 ⁄ 2 podes | |
| orguia | ὄργυια | Fathoms | 96 daktyloi = 6 podes | |
| chulon | 152 daktyloi = 9 1 ⁄ 2 podes | |||
| akaina | ἄκαινα | top | 960 daktyloi = 60 podes | |
|
plethron (pl. plethra ) |
πλέθρον (pl. πλέθρα ) |
Rope measure | 100 podes | 29.6 meters = 32.38 yards |
| stadium (pl. stadia ) |
στάδιον (pl. στάδια ) |
Racetrack | 600 podes = 6 plethra | Attic stadium = 177.6 m. Not to be confused with the length of the stadium building in Athens of 185.4 m (157 m to 211 m). The stadium building in Olympia measures 192.3 m. |
| diaulos (pl. diauloi ) |
δίαυλος | double racetrack (there and back) | 2 stadia | only with the Olympic running from 724 BC Chr. |
| dolichos | δόλιχος | Race track for long-distance running | 6 or 12 diauloi | only with the Olympic running from 720 BC Chr. |
| parasanges | παρασάγγης | (Persian) | 30 stadia | = 5.5 km, e.g. B. at Xenophon |
|
schoinos (pl. schoinoi ) |
σχοῖνος | literal reef , based on Egypt. Flow measure iter or natural | 60 stadia | = 11.1 km, but local deviations |
| stathmos (pl. stathmoi ) |
σταθμός | Day trip | = approx. 25 km, depending on the circumstances |
volume
| Description | original | translation | conversion | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
kyathos (Pl. kyathoi ) |
κύαθος (Pl. κύαθοι) | Scoop | 1 ⁄ 24 cheonix = 1 ⁄ 6 kotule | ≈ 0.045 l |
| kotule (Pl. kotulai) | κοτύλη (Pl. κοτύλαι) | Liquid measure | 1 ⁄ 4 cheonix =6 kyathoi | ≈ 0.27 l |
| cheonix, choinix (pl. cheonikes) |
χοῖνιξ (pl. χοίνικες) | original for wheat | 1 cheonix = 4 kotulai | ≈ 1.09 l |
|
modios (pl. modioi) |
μόδιος (pl. μόδιοι) | Metze, bushel | 8 cheonikes | ≈ 8.7 l |
|
medimnos (pl. medimnoi) |
μέδιμνος (pl. μέδιμνοι) | 48 cheonikes = 6 modes | ≈ 52.5 l | |
| kotule | κοτύλη | Dry measure | 1 ⁄ 4 cheonix =6 kyathoi | |
|
chous (pl. choes) |
χοῦς (Pl. χοεῖς) | Dry measure | 3 cheonikes = 12 kotulai | ≈ 3.28 l |
|
metretes (pl. metretai) |
μετρητής | Dry measure | 36 cheonikes = 12 choes | ≈ 39.4 l |
Weight and currency
| Description | original | translation | conversion | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
chalkos (pl. chalkoi) |
χαλκός (Pl. χαλκοί) | ⅛ obolo | Copper coin | |
|
obolos (pl. oboloi) |
ὀβολός (Pl. ὀβολοί) | Obolus | 1/6 drachma | Silver coin |
| diobolos | ⅓ drachma | |||
|
drachma (pl. drachmai) |
δραχμή (pl. δραχμαί) | drachma | = 4.5 to 6 g, weight of one silver coin | |
| (Alexandrian) didrachmone corresponds to a stater |
δίδραχμον, στατήρ | 2 drachmai | coin only | |
| (Attic) tetradrachm corresponds to a stater |
τετράδραχμον, στατήρ | 2 drachmai | coin only | |
| decadrachm | δεκάδραχμον | 10 drachmai | coin only | |
|
Latinized mina, Greek mna (Pl. Latin minai, Greek mnai) |
μνᾶ (pl. μναῖ) | mine | 100 drachmai | |
| talent | τάλαντον | talent | 60 minai |
Counting measure
|
myrias (pl. myriades) |
μυριάς (Pl. μυριάδες) | 10,000 (largest number) |
see also: Greek numerals
Roman system
Individual evidence
- ↑ Xénophon, Robin Waterfield, Tim Rood, translated by Robin Waterfield, The expedition of Cyrus, Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-19-282430-9 , p. 194.