Bematist

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bematists (Greek βηματιστής, 'striding; step counter') were specialists in ancient Greece who were trained to measure distances by counting their steps.

Measurements by Alexander's Bematists

Bematists accompanied Alexander the great on his campaign through Asia . Their distance information is so precise that it has been suggested that they must have used an odometer , although there is no direct mention of such a device:

“The accuracy of the bematists' distance measurements should be evident. The smaller deviations can be explained by minor changes in the course of the road over the past 2300 years. The precision of the information implies that the Bematists used a sophisticated mechanical device to measure distances - undoubtedly an oodometer as described by Heron of Alexandria . "

The following table lists the distances as measured by two of Alexander's Bematists (Diognetus and Baeton). The measurements were recorded in the Naturalis Historia by Pliny ( NH 6.61-62). Further information is given in Strabo (Geographica 11.8.9), followed by Eratosthenes .

Pliny 6.61-62 Strabo 11.8.9 Real distance
route Milia passuum 1) English miles deviation Stages 2) English miles deviation English miles
North. Caspian Gate - Hekatompylos - - - 1960 225 0.8% 227 main street
South. Caspian Gate - Hekatompylos 133 122 2.4% - - - 125 main street
Hekatompylos - Alexandria Areion 575 529 0.4% 4530 521 1.9% 531 Silk Road
Alexandria Areion - Prophtasia 199 183 3.2% 1600 184 2.6% 189 Herat - Juwain
Prophtasia - Arachoti Polis 565 520 1 % 4120 474 9.7% 525 Juwain - Kelat-i-Ghilzai
Arachoti Polis - Hortospana 250 230 0.4% 2000 230 0.4% 231 Main street Kelat-i-Ghilzai - Kabul
Hortospana - Alexandria ad Caucasum 50 46 2.1% - - - 47 Kabul - shame
Alexandria ad Caucasum - Peucolatis 237 218 3.2% - - - 211 Begram - Charsada
Peucolatis - Taxila 60 55 20% - - - 69 Charsada - Taxila
Taxila - Hydaspes (Jhelum) 120 110 4.8% - - - 105 Aurel Stein's route
Alexandria Areion - Baktra - Zariaspa 3) - - - 3870 445 1.6% 438 via Kala Nau, Bala Murghab, Maimana and Andkhui
average 4.2% 2.8%
Median 2.8% 1.9%
1)1 mille passus 1480 meters or 1618.5 yards
2)1 Attic stadium 185 meters
3) It is not known whether Alexander himself followed this route.

Appendix: If the highest statistical outlier is disregarded, the average deviation of the remaining measurements of the Bematists from the real distance is 1.9% for Pliny and 1.5% for Strabo, with a total distance of 1958 and 1605 miles, respectively.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Engels 1978, p. 158
  2. ↑ All information from: Engels 1978, p. 157

literature

  • Engels, Donald W .: Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army , University of California Press, Los Angeles 1978, ISBN 0-520-04272-7