ANCIENT GREEK UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

The Greek system of weights and measures was built mainly upon the Egyptian, and formed the basis of the later Roman system.
:''Although we might suggest that the Egyptians had discovered the art of measurement, it is really only with the Greeks that the science of measurement begins to appear. The Greeks' knowledge of geometry, and their early experimentation with weights and measures, soon began to place their measurement system on a more scientific basis. By comparison, Roman science, which came later, was not as advanced...'' (Quoted from the website of the Canada Science and Technology Museum [1])
Generally speaking, standards of measurement within the ancient Greek world varied according to location and epoch. In a city state like Athens, for example, units of measurement evolved as needs changed and sometimes they were radically reformed by influential figures such as Solon. In time, some units of measurement were found to be convenient for trade within the Mediterranean region and these units became more and more common to different city states. Similarly the calibration and use of measuring devices became more sophisticated over time. By about 500 BC, Athens already had its own central depository of official weights and measures — the ''Tholos'' [Θόλος] — where merchants were required to test their measuring devices against official standards.
The units presented below are typical of Athens during it's 'Golden Age' in the 5th Century BC. The history of other Greek city states is less well recorded and their units of measurement are generally known only in so far as they were borrowed or adapted by the Athenians.

Contents

Length

Volume

Currency

Weight

Area

Time

External links

Length

The basic Athenian unit of length was called the ''dactylos'' [δάκτυλος] and it originally referred to a finger segment.

; 1 ''daktulos'' (m.) [] = approximately 2cm
; 1 ''pous'' (m.) [ = foot, in English] = 16 ''daktyloi'' (m.) [ (pl. of daktulos)]
; 1 ''pechus'' (m.) [] = 24 ''daktyloi'' [δάκτυλοι]
; 1 ''plethron'' (n.) [] = 100 ''podes'' (m.) [ (pl. of pous)]
; 1 ''stadion'' (n.) [] = 600 ''podes'' [πόδες]

Volume

Athenians measured dry capacity by the ''medimnos'' [] and liquid capacity by the ''metretes'' []. Each unit was based on the common unit of a ''kotyle'' []:
:
'Dry Measure'
; 1 ''medimnos'' (m.) [] = 48 ''choenices'' (m.) [ (pl. of choenix)] (approximately 25kg of grain)
; 1 ''choenix'' (m.) [] = 4 ''kotylae'' [ (pl. of kotyle)]
; 1 ''kotyle'' (f.) [] = 6 ''kyathoi'' (m.) [ (pl. of kyathos)]
:
'Liquid Measure'
; 1 ''metretes'' (m.) [] = 12 ''choes'' (m.) [ (pl. of chous)] (approximately 34L)
; 1 ''chous'' (m.) [] = 12 ''kotylai'' []
; 1 ''kotyle'' (f.) [] = 6 ''kyathoi'' []

Currency

The basic unit of Athenian currency was the ''obol'':

; 1 ''drachma'' (f.) [] = 6 ''obols'' (m.) [ (pl. of obol)]
; 1 ''stater'' (m.) [] = 2 ''drachmae'' (f.) [δραχμαί, αἱ (pl. of drachma)]
; 1 ''mina'' (f.) [] = 100 ''drachmae'' []
; 1 ''talent'' (n.) [] = ''60 minae'' (f.) [ (pl. of mina)]

Weight

Athenian weights were associated with currency since units of currency involved prescribed amounts of a given metal.
; 1 ''obol'' (m.) [] = approximately 0.7 grams
; 1 ''drachma'' (f.) [] = 6 ''obols'' (m.) [ (pl. of obol)]
; 1 ''stater'' (m.) [] = 2 ''drachmae'' (f.) [ (pl. of drachma)]
; 1 ''mina'' (f.) [] = 100 ''drachmae'' (f.) [ (pl. of drachma)]
; 1 ''talent'' (n.) [] = 60 ''minae'' (f.) [ (pl. of mina)] (approximately 26kg)

Area

; 1 ''plethron'' (n.) []: originally the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plough in one day, approximately 4 English acres.
:(the ''plethron'' was also a unit of length - see above)

Time

Athenians measured the day by sundials. Periods during night or day could be measured by a water 'clock' that dripped at a steady rate. The year was divided into 12 months, with one month being repeated every second year. Even with this intercalary month, the Athenian or Attic calendar was still fairly inaccurate and days had occasionally to be added by the Archon Basileus. The months were named after Athenian religious festivals (the actual order of the months in the Athenian Calendar, and their corresponding months of our contemporary Gregorian calendar months, between brackets):

: 'Gamelion' [] (7th: Dec-Jan)
: 'Anthesterion' [] (8th: Jan-Feb)
: 'Elaphebolion' [] (9th: Feb-March)
: 'Mοunichion' [] (10th: March-April)
: 'Thargelion' [] (11th: April-May)
: 'Skirophorion' [] (12th: May-June)
: 'Hekatombaeon' [] (1st: June-July)
: 'Metageitnion' [] (2nd: July-Aug)
: 'Boedromion' [] (3rd: Aug-Sept)
: 'Pyanepsion' [] (5th: Oct-Nov)
: 'Poseideon' [] (6th: Nov-Dec)

External links

★ History 310: Greek Coinage and Measures

★ Greek and Roman Weights, Measures and Currency Porter, John

★ Measurement Lahanas, Michael