Zythum

Zythum (ζῦθος). [CERVESIA]

TABLES OF GREEK AND ROMAN MEASURES, WEIGHTS, AND MONEY.

In the construction of these Tables, most use has been made of F. Hultsch's Griechische und Römische Metrologie, 2nd ed., Berlin, 1882; but Hultsch's results have been, in some instances, corrected by W. Dörpfeld in Mittheilungen des Deutschen Instituts zu Athen, since 1883. The tables of weights and money are founded on the articles As and PONDERA by Professor Gardner.

The Tables are so arranged as to exhibit the corresponding Greek and Roman measures in direct comparison with each other. In some of the Tables the values are given, not only in our several measures, but also in decimals of a primary unit, for the purpose of facilitating calculations. In others, approximate values are given; that is, values which differ from the true ones by some small fraction. Where both French and English determinations are given, these cannot correspond with the utmost exactness, but the discrepancy between them is barely noticeable, save in the highest and lowest measures determined. Fuller information will be found under MENSURA, NUMMUS, PONDERA, and the specific names. [P.S] [J.G]

TABLE I.

GRECIAN MEASURES OF LENGTH. (ATTIC STANDARD.)

NOTE.--For other Standards, see Notes to Table II.

TABLE II.

ROMAN MEASURES OF LENGTH.

NOTES TO TABLES I. AND II.

A metre is 39.37 English inches: an English foot is .3048 metre.

It is not thought necessary to give the whole scale of the Uncial divisions of the foot. They can easily be calculated from the Uncia.

Other Standards.--The relations of the measures to one another were always, with hardly any exception, those above given: but the standards varied in different places and at different times. Thus the Attic ποὺς being .296 m., the Aeginetan was 333 m., the Olympic .3205 m., the Philetaerean .333 m., the Ionic .350 m., the Phrygian .2775 m.

In the West, though the Roman foot was .296 m., the same as the Attic, the older Italian foot was only .275 m., and the Drusian foot, used in Gaul and Germany, 2as .333 m.

In Egypt, under the Pharaohs, the Royal ell was .525 m., the smaller ell .425 m.: under the Ptolemies, the Royal ell was .533 m., the greater foot .355 m., and the smaller foot .303 m.

The Great Babylonian ell was .550 m., the Royal or Persian ell .495 m., the Phoenician ell .4435 m.

Compared with one another, the Attic, Roman, and Phoenician feet are the same: the Aeginetan, Philetaerean, and Drusian are the same: the Italian and Phrygian are the same: the Ionic and Royal (or Greater) Egyptian are the same--either exactly or very nearly indeed.

TABLE III.

GRECIAN MEASURES OF LENGTH. (ATTIC STANDARD.)

NOTE.--The σχοῖνος, above given, is that of Herodotus, but the measure seems to have varied in different reaches of the Nile, and the Romans reckoned it about 4 Roman miles. On the parasang, see note to next Table.

TABLE IV.

ROMAN MEASURES OF LENGTH.

NOTES TO TABLES III. AND IV.

N.B.--The Roman mile only differs from the English by less than 1-10th.

Ancient Road Measures.--As in Tables I. and II., so here, the relations of the measures to one another are correctly given, but the standards varied. It is proper, therefore, to add the length of various road measures according to the standards in use in different parts of the ancient world.

The Attic stadium being 177 m., the Olympic was 192 m., the Ptolemaic 185 m., the Ionic 210 m. (A metre is 39.37 English inches.)

The Romans, using round numbers, reckoned 8 stadia to the mile. According to this relation, the Roman stadium would be 185 m., and the old Italian 165 m.

Similarly, the Greeks reckoned 30 stadia to the parasang, but the parasang was really 30 Persian stadia, which were longer than the Greek, being 196.8 m. The true parasang was therefore 5904 m., or 3 miles 1180 yard. (So Oppert, but Hultsch determines it at 5670 m.)

The Gallic leuga was 2220 m.: the German rasta 4440 m.

TABLE V.

GRECIAN MEASURES OF SURFACE.

(ATTIC STANDARD.)

NOTES.

The English acre being 160 perches or 4840 sq. yds., the πλέθρον is obviously less than 1/4 or an acre.

The Egyptian ἄρουρα (Hdt. 2.168) was a square of 50 Egyptian ells each way. The ell being taken at 0.524 m., or about 21 English inches, this gives a value of about 820 sq. yds. for the ἄρουρα.

TABLE VI.

ROMAN MEASURES OF SURFACE.

TABLE VII.

GRECIAN MEASURES OF CAPACITY.

NOTE.--The above table is calculated from the κύαθος, as estimated above. If it is estimated at .045 litre, the μετρητὴς will be determined at about 1 pint less.

TABLE VIII.

ROMAN MEASURES OF CAPACITY.

NOTE.--The above table is also calculated from the Cyathus, determined at .08 pint, and here also a calculation from the Cyathus = .045 litre would make a trifling difference in the Amphora.

TABLE IX.

GRECIAN MEASURES OF CAPACITY.

NOTE.--The Egyptain hin was about 10 κύαθοι: the Persian ἀρτάβη about 48 quarts; the Ptolemaic ἀρτάβη about 48 quarts (= 1 μέδιμνος): the Spartan medimnus about 65 quarts: the Ptolemaic medimnus about 96 quarts or 3 bushels.

TABLE X.

ROMAN MEASURES OF CAPACITY.

TABLE XI.

N.B.--One pound avoirdupois is exactly 7,000 grains: one ounce avoirdupois is 437 1/2 grains. 1 gramme is 15.43234 grains.

(A.) Various Oriental Weights.

(B.) Aeginetan and Attic Commerical Weights.

(C.) Euboic Weights.

N.B.--Just as the Euboic drachm is 1/3 of the Aeginetan stater, so the Corinthian drachm is 1/3 of the Euboic stater. See Vol. II., p. 449 b.

(D.) Attic Weights (Solonian Coinage).

N.B.--It will be seen that the ratio of the Aeginetan stater (195 gr.) to the Attic (135 gr.) is a good deal larger than 100:73 or 138:100 or 83 1/3 :60, which are the ratios ascribed to Solon's reduction of the Attic coinage.

TABLE XII.

GRECIAN MONEY (valued by Weight).

TABLE XIII.

ROMAN WEIGHTS.

TABLE XIV.

ROMAN WEIGHTS.

TABLE XV.

NORMAL WEIGHTS OF ROMAN COINS IN ENGLISH GRAINS.

The gold solidus of Constantine and his successors weighed a little over 80 grains.

N.B.--The English sovereign weighs 123.27447 grains; the shilling 87.27272 gr.; the penny 145.83333 gr. These weights form the basis of Table XVI.

TABLE XVI.

ROMAN COINS COMPARED, IN WEIGHT, WITH ENGLISH.

NOTE.--The above table gives a good idea of the size of the coin, but not so accurate a notion of its intrinsic value, for the English sovereign contains 1/12th alloy, the shilling 3/40ths alloy, the penny 1/20th alloy.

The intrinsic value of a gold coin may be determined from the fact that the Bank of England is bound to buy gold bullion at the fixed rate of £3 17s. 9d. per oz. Troy of 480 grs. Hence, for instance, the aureus of Augustus would fetch £1 0s. 9 1/2 d. But the price of silver bullion is not fixed, and has varied within the last 20 years from 5s. to 3s. 8d. per oz. Troy; and similarly the value of copper varies. The relative values, again, of gold to silver and of silver to copper fluctuated considerably in ancient times, as they do now, and the intrinsic values of e. g. the aureus to the denarius, taken now, would not correspond to their relative values of 1 aureus = 25 denarii. Cf. also the article As.

For practical purposes, the aureus of Augustus = £1 sterling; the denarius = 1 franc (9 3/5 d.); the sestertius = 2 2/5 d. or 1/100th of £1. A sum given in sestertii may be converted into pounds sterling by dividing it by 100.