| Cubits. | |
From the ground-line to the floor of the Queen’s chamber was | 40 |
From the floor of the Queen’s to the floor of the King’s chamber | 40 |
From the floor of the King’s chamber to the apex of the discharging roof | 40 |
From that point to the apex of the pyramid, 40×4 | 160 |
| —— | |
| Making up exactly, | 280 |
They also found that the length of the base line was to this dimension in the ratio of 8 to 5, making it 448 cubits or 767·424 feet English exactly. With these two dimensions all the other parts of so simple a figure follow as a matter of course.
The bearing of this also on the Mausoleum will be seen in the sequel, though a much more complicated system of ratios was of course necessary either to such a building or to even the very simplest Greek temples.
CHAPTER II.
Greek Measures.
There is one other point which must be carefully attended to in any attempt to restore the Mausoleum, which is the ratio between Greek and English measures. Those quoted by Pliny are in the former, of course; those obtained by the excavations are in the latter; and every result is vitiated and worthless without due attention to the difference.
The length of a Greek foot may be attained most directly by comparison with the Roman. From the researches of the best antiquaries as summed up by Niebuhr, the length of the Roman foot was ·972 English—a result confirmed by Mr. Penrose’s careful independent investigation. Now, as it is known that the ratio between the Greek foot and the Roman was as 25 to 24, we arrive at the result of 101·25 English feet equal to 100 Greek.
Mr. Penrose obtained a slightly different result from his measurement of the upper step of the Parthenon. The front was known or assumed to be exactly 100 Greek feet; it gave 101·341, or about one inch in excess in 1200. As the flanks were to the front in the ratio of 4 to 9, this ought to have given 228·019. It was found to be 228·166, or nearly two inches in excess. But, on the other hand, it is admitted that the term Hecatompedon in Greek authors seems always to apply to the Naos and not to the step; and this, as measured by Mr. Penrose, including the transverse wall, gave 101·222, or a little under the other—the mean between the two being almost exactly identical with the measure derived from the Roman foot. In consequence of this the preference will be given throughout the following pages to the ratio of 101·25, or 101 ft. 3 in. English, as being equal to 100 Greek feet.