A Smaller Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities

by William Smith

N.B.—Approximate Values. From the above Table, it will be seen that the Greek Foot, Cubit, and Orguia, only exceed the English Foot, Foot and a half, and Fathom, by about 1-10th, 2-10ths, and 8-10ths of an inch respectively.

TABLE II.
ROMAN MEASURES OF LENGTH.

I. Smaller Measures.							Feet.	Inches.
Digitus							”	·7281
1⅓	[Uncia] or Pollex						”	·9708
4	3	Palmus					”	2·9124
12	9	3	Palmus Major (of late times)				”	8·7372
16	12	4	1⅓	[Pes]			”	11·6496
20	15	5	1⅔	1¼	Palmipes		1	2·562
24	18	6	2	1½	1⅕	[Cubitus]	1	5·4744

N.B.—Approximate Values. The Roman Uncia, Pes, and Cubitus only fall short of our Inch, Foot, and Foot and a half, by less than 1-10th, 4-10ths, and 6-10ths of an inch respectively.

TABLE III.
GRECIAN MEASURES OF LENGTH.

II. Larger Measures.—Land and Itinerary.[4]														Miles.	Feet.	Inches.
ΠΟΥΣ														”	1	0·135
1½	ΠΗΧΥΣ													”	1	6·2025
2½	1⅔	Βῦμα												”	2	6·3375
6	4	2⅖	ὈΡΓΥΙΆ											”	6	0·81
10	6⅔	4	1⅔	Κάλαμος, Ἄκαινα, or Δεκάπους										”	10	1·35
60	40	24	10	6	Ἄμμα									”	60	8·1
100	66⅔	40	16⅔	10	1⅔	Πλέθρον								”	101	1·5
600	400	240	100	60	10	6	ΣΤΆΔΙΟΝ or ΣΤΆΔΙΟΣ							”	606	9
1200	800	480	200	120	20	12	2	Δίαυλος						”	1213	6
2400	1600	960	400	240	40	24	4	2	Ἱππικόν					”	2427	”
4800	3200	1920	800	480	80	48	8	4	2	[Roman Mile] (μίλιον)				”	4854	”
18,000	12,000	7200	3000	1800	300	180	30	15	7½	3¾	Παρασάγγης			3	2362	6
36,000	24,000	14,400	6000	3600	600	360	60	30	15	7½	2	Σχοῖνος		6	4735	”
360,000	240,000	144,000	60,000	36,000	6000	3600	600	300	150	75	20	10	Degree	68[5]	5110	”

[4] In order to show the relations more clearly, the foreign measures most familiar to the Greeks are included in this Table.

[5] This is, of course, not the true number of English statute miles contained in a degree of a great circle of the earth, but the number computed from the data exhibited in the Table, some of which are only approximate; namely, 1 Degree = 75 Roman miles = 600 Greek Stadia, and 1 Greek foot = 12·135 inches. The true value of a degree in English miles is 69¹/₅₁ = 69·0196, and the difference is only about 7-100ths of a mile.