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Money, Weights and Measures in Antiquity
Money & weights Capacity Length & surface
Equations Some implications Bibliography

3 Measures of length and area of surface

Mesopotamia

Length
Early Neo-Babylonian:
1 UŠ 6 ropes 12 suppu 60 rods 120 reeds 240 nikkas 720 cubits 360 m
1 rope
(ašlu)		 2 suppu 10 rods 20 reeds 40 nikkas 120 cubits 60 m
1 suppu 5 rods 10 reeds 20 nikkas 60 cubits 30 m
1 rod
(nindanu)		 2 reeds 4 nikkas 12 cubits 6 m
1 reed
(GI, qanû)		 2 nikkas 6 cubits 3 m
1 nikkas 3 cubits 1½  m
1 cubit
(KÙŠ,
ammatu)		 ½ m
  • Very long distances:
    • 1 stage (DANNA, bêru) = 300 UŠ = 10,800 m
    • 1 stage is about 2 parasanges
    • 1 UŠ is about 2 Greek stades
  • Very short measures:
    • 1 finger (ŠU.SI, ubanu) = 1/24 cubit = 2.083 cm
Surface area
Old Babylonian: 1 BÙR, bûru = 18 IKU, ikû "dike" = 6.48 ha.
The Neo-Babylonians had two ways of measuring surface.
  1. Measuring the sides, mostly in "reeds". 1 square reed = 49 square cubits = 12.25 sq.m.
  2. Measuring in seed ratios. In Babylon and Ur 100 × 100 cubits equate 33 1/3 liters of grain, in Uruk 36 liters. Thus:
Babylon
Uruk
1 liter (SÌLA, qa) = 300 cubit² = 75 m²  = 277.777 cub.² = 69.444 m²
1 seah (BÁN, sûtu)  = 1800 cubit² = 450 m² = 1666.666 cub.² = 416.666 m²
1 bushel (PI, pânu) = 10800 cubit² = 0.27 ha = 10,000 cub.² = 0.25 ha
1 kor (GUR, kurru) = 54,000 cubit² = 1.35 ha = 50,000 cub.² = 1.25 ha.
A man indicating cubit, foot, and finger. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Britain). Photo Jona Lendering.
A man indicating cubit, foot, and finger (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; ©**)

Greek

Length
1 stadion = 6 plethra = 600 feet = 9600 fingers = 177.6 meter
1 plethron = 100 feet = 1600 fingers = 29.57 meter
1 pous (foot) = 16 fingers = 29.57 cm
1 daktylos (finger) =1.85 cm
  • In this table, Attic values were given.
  • Alternative values for the stadion: 192.28 (Olympic), 177.5 (Delphi) and 184.80 meter (Parthenon).
  • Alternative values for the plethron: 32.05 (Olympic) and 30.8 meter (Parthenon).
  • Alternative values for the foot: 32.05 (Olympic) and 30.8 cm (Parthenon).
  • Alternative value for the finger: 2 cm (Olympic).
Other length measures:
  • 1 parasange = 30 stadia (5,328-5,760 meter; about one hour walking).
  • 1 rope (schoinion) = 52.5 meter.
  • 1 cubit (pêchys) = 24 fingers = 44.36 cm (Attic) or 48.08 cm (Olympic)
  • 1 plethron  = 66 2/3 cubits
Surface area
  • 1 square plethron  = 100 × 100 feet
    • = 0.0875 ha. (Attic foot, 29.57 cm)
    • = 0.1027 ha. (Oympic foot, 32.05 cm)
    • = 0.095 ha (Parthenon foot, 30.8 cm)
  • 1 square cubit
    • =  0.197 m² (Attic cubit, 44.36 cm)
    • =  0.231 m² = (Olympic cubit, 48.08 cm)
  • 1 aroura or setat (Egypt, Old kingdom to Ptolemaic Period) = 100 × 100 "royal cubits" (52.5 cm) = 2756.25 m²  = 0.276 ha. This is more or less equivalent to one Roman iugerum (0.252 ha).
Milestone along the Via Appia. Photo Jona Lendering.
Milestone along the Via Appia  (©**)

Rome

Length
1 mile
(milia passuum)		 = 8 stades = 1000 pace = 5000 feet = 1.48 km
1 stadium = 125 pace = 625 feet = 185 meters
1 pace (passus) = 5 feet = 1.48 meters
1 foot (pes) = 29.57 cm
Surface- area
1 centuria = 100 heredia = 200 iugera = 400 actûs = 50.365 ha
1 heredium = 2 iugera = 4 actûs = 0.5036 ha
1 iugerum = 2 actûs = 0.2518 ha
1 actus = 0.1259 ha
  • 1 actus quadratus  = 120 × 120 feet (14,400 sq. feet) 
  • 1 iugerum (0.2518 ha) is more or less equivalent to 1 Egyptian aroura (0.2756 ha)
Money & weights Capacity Length & surface
Equations Some implications Bibliography
© Bert van der Spek for
Livius.Org, 2004
Revision: 24 February 2007
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