Egyptian measure of liquid capacity, with the cartouche of Thutmose III
(1479-1425). (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden) |
2 Measures of capacity
Mesopotamia
(Late Babylonian; both dry and liquid)
1 kor
(GUR,
kurru) |
= 5 bushel |
= 30 seah |
= 180 qa |
= 180 liter |
|
1 bushel
(PI,
pânu) |
= 6 seah |
= 36 qa |
= 36 liter |
|
|
1 seah
(BÁN,
sûtu) |
= 6 qa |
= 6 liter |
|
|
|
1 qa
(qa,
SÌLA, qû) |
= 1 liter |
- Other values for
the qa: 0.84 and 0.97 liter
- 1 qa
= 2 mina of water
- 1 ninda
(akalu?) = 0.1 liter
- 1 ardabu
= 1 artabê
(Old Persian loanword; Aramaic ardab) = ca. 52 liter
Greek (after G. Reger (1994), 351)
Attic dry measures (metra xêra):
| 1 medimnos |
= 6 hekteis |
= 48 choinikes |
= 192 kotylai |
= 52.176 liter |
|
1 hekteus |
=
8 choinikes |
= 32 kotylai |
=
8.696 liter |
|
|
1 choinix |
=
4 kotylai |
=
1.087 liter |
|
|
|
1 kotylê |
=
0.272 liter |
- Alternative
values: 1 medimnos = 54
liters
- 1 choinix
or 1.087 liter was the Attic ration
standard for wheat
- Athenian agora
examples of kotylai
range between 0.267-0.300 liters
- 1 Attic medimnos
(52.176 liter) is almost
equivalent to 6 modii (52.416 liter)
- 1 kotyle
(0.272 liter) is almost equal to
½ Roman sextarius (0.273)
- The capacity of
the artabê is controversial:
40 choinikes and 30 choinikes
are both possible.
Liquid measures (metra hygra):
| 1 metrêtês |
=
4 kophinoi |
= 12 choes |
= 144 kotylai |
= 37.4 (40.32?)
liter |
|
1 kophinos |
= 3 choes |
= 36 kotylai |
=
9.35 (10.08?) liter |
|
|
1 chous |
= 12 kotylai |
= 3.12 (3.36?)
liter |
|
|
|
1 kotylê |
=
0.26 (0.28?) liter |
- 1 keramion
= 2/3 metrêtês
= 8 choes = 24.93 (26.88?) liter
Rome
Dry measures:
| 1 modius |
=
16 sextarii |
=
8.736 liter |
|
1 sextarius |
= 0.546 liter |
- Alternative
values: 1 modius = 9 liter (Rickman)
or 8.62 liter (Rathbone)
- 1 modius
of wheat after threshing (Pliny, Nat.
Hist. 18.66)
| Light |
= 20 librae |
= 6.55 kg |
1liter = 0.75 kg |
| Medium |
= 205/6 librae |
= 6.82 kg |
l liter = 0.78 kg |
| Heavy |
= 21¾ librae |
= 7.12 kg |
1liter = 0.82 kg |
- Rickman
(1980) xiii: "Therefore 1 ton of wheat on average = approx. 150 modii
or
25 medimnoi", i.e. 1 modius =
6.67 kg of wheat
- 6 modii
(52.416 liter) are almost equivalent
to 1 Attic medimnos (52.176 liter)
- 1 sextarius
(0.546)
is almost equal to 2 Greek kotylai (0.544 liter)
- 1 modius
castrensis cumulatus =
1.5 modii Italici = 24 sextarii
- 1 modius
castrensis 'xystos' = 1 3/8modii
Italici = 22 sextarii
Liquid measures:
| 1 culleus |
= 20 amphorae |
= 160 congii |
=
960 sextarii |
517.11 liters |
|
1 amphora |
= 8 congii |
=
48 sextarii |
25.86 liter |
|
|
1 congius |
= 6 sextarii |
3.23 liter |
|
|
|
1 sextarius |
0.54
liter |
- 1 amphora
(or quadrantal)
corresponded to one cubic pes of liquid, i.e. a
cube of 29.57 ×
29.57 ×
29.57
cm, or 25.86 liter.
- The sextarius
could be divided into 2 heminae
of 0.27 liter.
|
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