Acaena

Acaena (ἀκαίνη, ἄκαινα, or in later Greek ἄκενα, in one place ἄκαινον) is a very ancient, Greek word, for it is said to have been derived from the Thessalians or from the Pelasgians. It seems originally to have meant a pointed stick: thus it was applied both to a goad and to a shepherd's staff. Afterwards it came (like our pole and perch, and the German Stange) to mean a measuring rod of the length of ten Greek feet, or, according to Hesychius, 9 2/3 πήχεις, which is the same thing. It was used in measuring land, and thus it resembles the Roman decempeda. It is doubtful whether there was a corresponding square measure. (Schol. in Apollon. 3.1326; Suid. s.v. Hesych. sub voce Schow, Hesych. Restit. p. 648; Olympiodor. ad Aristot. Meteorolog. p. 25; Heron. ap. Salmas. ad Solin. p. 481; Wurm, de Pond. p. 93; Hultsch, Griech. u. Röm. Metrol. p. 36.) [ACNA]

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