# Ancient Greek units of measurement

Ancient Greek units of measurement varied according to location and epoch. Systems of ancient weights and measures evolved as needs changed; Solon and other lawgivers also reformed them en bloc. Some units of measurement were found to be convenient for trade within the Mediterranean region and these units became increasingly common to different city states. The calibration and use of measuring devices became more sophisticated. By about 500 BC, Athens had a central depository of official weights and measures, the Tholos, where merchants were required to test their measuring devices against official standards.

## Length

Some Greek measures of length were named after parts of the body, such as the δάκτυλος (daktylos, plural: δάκτυλοι daktyloi) or finger (having the size of a thumb), and the πούς (pous, plural: πόδες podes) or foot (having the size of a shoe). The values of the units varied according to location and epoch (e.g., in Aegina a pous was approximately 333 mm (13.1 in), whereas in Athens (Attica) it was about 296 mm (11.7 in)), but the relative proportions were generally the same.
Smaller units of length :
| Unit | Greek name | Equal to | Modern equivalent | Description |
| daktylos | δάκτυλος | | 19.3 mm (0.76 in) | finger |
| kondylos | κόνδυλος | 2 daktyloi | 38.5 mm (1.52 in) | knuckle |
| palaistē or dōron | παλαιστή, δῶρον | 4 daktyloi | 77.1 mm (3.04 in) | palm |
| dichas or hēmipodion | διχάς, ἡμιπόδιον | 8 daktyloi | 154.1 mm (6.07 in) | half foot |
| lichas | λιχάς | 10 daktyloi | 192.6 mm (7.58 in) | distance from thumb-tip to tip of outstretched index finger |
| orthodōron | ὀρθόδωρον | 11 daktyloi | 211.9 mm (8.34 in) | straight hand's width |
| spithamē | σπιθαμή | 12 daktyloi | 231.2 mm (9.10 in) | span of all fingers |
| pous | πούς | 16 daktyloi | 308.2 mm (12.13 in) | foot |
| pygmē | πυγμή | 18 daktyloi | 346.8 mm (13.65 in) | forearm |
| pygōn | πυγών | 20 daktyloi | 385.3 mm (15.17 in) | distance from elbow to fist |
| pēchys | πῆχυς | 24 daktyloi | 462.3 mm (18.20 in) | cubit |
| Except where noted, based on Smith (1851). Metric equivalents are approximate. |||||
Smaller units derived from the daktylos :
| | daktylos | kondylos | doron | dichas | lichas | orthodoron | spithame | pous | pygme | pygon | pechus | royal pechus |
| daktylos | 1 | 1⁄2 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄10 | 1⁄11 | 1⁄12 | 1⁄16 | 1⁄18 | 1⁄20 | 1⁄24 | 1⁄27 |
| kondylos | 2 | 1 | 1⁄2 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄5 | 2⁄11 | 1⁄6 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄9 | 1⁄10 | 1⁄12 | 2⁄27 |
| doron | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1⁄2 | 2⁄5 | 4⁄11 | 1⁄3 | 1⁄4 | 2⁄9 | 1⁄5 | 1⁄6 | 4⁄27 |
| dichas | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4⁄5 | 8⁄11 | 2⁄3 | 1⁄2 | 4⁄9 | 2⁄5 | 1⁄3 | 8⁄27 |
| lichas | 10 | 5 | 2+1⁄2 | 1+1⁄4 | 1 | 10⁄11 | 5⁄6 | 5⁄8 | 5⁄9 | 1⁄2 | 5⁄12 | 10⁄27 |
| orthodoron | 11 | 5+1⁄2 | 2+3⁄4 | 1+3⁄8 | 1+1⁄10 | 1 | 11⁄12 | 11⁄16 | 11⁄18 | 11⁄20 | 11⁄24 | 11⁄27 |
| spithame | 12 | 6 | 3 | 1+1⁄2 | 1+1⁄5 | 1+1⁄11 | 1 | 3⁄4 | 2⁄3 | 3⁄5 | 1⁄2 | 4⁄9 |
| pous | 16 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1+3⁄5 | 1+5⁄11 | 1+1⁄3 | 1 | 8⁄9 | 4⁄5 | 2⁄3 | 16⁄27 |
| pygme | 18 | 9 | 4+1⁄2 | 2+1⁄4 | 1+4⁄5 | 1+7⁄11 | 1+1⁄2 | 1+1⁄8 | 1 | 9⁄10 | 3⁄4 | 2⁄3 |
| pygon | 20 | 10 | 5 | 2+1⁄2 | 2 | 1+9⁄11 | 1+2⁄3 | 1+1⁄4 | 1+1⁄9 | 1 | 5⁄6 | 20⁄27 |
| pechus | 24 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 2+2⁄5 | 2+2⁄11 | 2 | 1+1⁄2 | 1+1⁄3 | 1+1⁄5 | 1 | 8⁄9 |
| royal pechus | 27 | 13+1⁄2 | 6+3⁄4 | 3+3⁄8 | 2+7⁄10 | 2+5⁄11 | 2+1⁄4 | 1+11⁄16 | 1+1⁄2 | 1+7⁄20 | 1+1⁄8 | 1 |
| meters | 0.01926 | 0.03853 | 0.07706 | 0.15411 | 0.19264 | 0.21191 | 0.23117 | 0.30823 | 0.34676 | 0.38529 | 0.46234 | 0.52014 |
Larger units of length :
| Unit | Greek name | Equal to | Modern equivalent | Description |
| pous | πούς | | 0.308 m (1.01 ft) | foot |
| haploun bēma | ἁπλοῦν βῆμα | 2+1⁄2 podes | 0.77 m (2.5 ft) | step |
| bēma, diploun bēma | βῆμα, διπλοῦν βῆμα | 5 podes | 1.54 m (5.1 ft) | pace |
| orgyia | ὄργυια | 6 podes | 1.85 m (6.1 ft) | fathom |
| kalamos, akaina or dekapous | κάλαμος, ἄκαινα, δεκάπους | 10 podes | 3.08 m (10.1 ft) | 10 feet |
| hamma | ἅμμα | 60 podes | 18.5 m (20.2 yd) | knot, link of a chain |
| plethron | πλέθρον | 100 podes | 30.8 m (33.7 yd) | 100 feet |
| stadion | στάδιον | 600 podes | 184.9 m (202.2 yd) | an eighth of a Roman mile |
| diaulos | δίαυλος | 2 stadia | 369.9 m (404.5 yd) | double pipe |
| hippikon | ἱππικόν | 4 stadia | 739.7 m (808.9 yd) | length of a hippodrome |
| milion | μίλιον | 8 stadia | 1.479 km (1,617 yd) | Roman mile |
| dolichos | δόλιχος | 12 stadia | 2.219 km (1.379 mi) | long race |
| parasanges, or league | παρασάγγης | 30 stadia | 5.548 km (3.447 mi) | adopted from Persia |
| schoinos | σχοινός | 40 stadia | 7.397 km (4.596 mi) | adopted from Egypt |
| stage | | 160 stadia | 29.8 km (18.5 mi) | |
| Except where noted, based on Smith (1851). Metric equivalents are approximate. |||||
Larger units derived from the pous :
| | pous | bema haplun | bema diplun | orguia | akaina | hamma | plethron | stadion |
| pous | 1 | 2⁄5 | 1⁄5 | 1⁄6 | 1⁄10 | 1⁄60 | 1⁄100 | 1⁄600 |
| bema haplun | 2+1⁄2 | 1 | 1⁄2 | 5⁄12 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄24 | 1⁄40 | 1⁄240 |
| bema diplun | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5⁄6 | 1⁄2 | 1⁄12 | 1⁄20 | 1⁄120 |
| orguia | 6 | 2+2⁄5 | 1+1⁄5 | 1 | 3⁄5 | 1⁄10 | 3⁄50 | 1⁄100 |
| akaina | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1+2⁄3 | 1 | 1⁄6 | 1⁄10 | 1⁄60 |
| hamma | 60 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3⁄5 | 1⁄10 |
| plethron | 100 | 40 | 20 | 16+2⁄3 | 10 | 1+2⁄3 | 1 | 1⁄6 |
| stadion | 600 | 240 | 120 | 100 | 60 | 10 | 6 | 1 |
| meters | 0.30823 | 0.77057 | 1.54115 | 1.8494 | 3.0823 | 18.4938 | 30.823 | 184.94 |

## Area

The ordinary units used for land measurement were:
Units of surface measurement :
| Unit | Greek name | Equal to | Modern equivalent | Description |
| pous | πούς | | 0.095 m$^2$ (1.02 sq ft) | square foot |
| hexapodēs | ἑξαπόδης | 36 podes | 3.42 m$^2$ (36.8 sq ft) | square six-foot |
| akaina | ἄκαινα | 100 podes | 9.50 m$^2$ (102.3 sq ft) | rod |
| hēmiektos | ἡμίεκτος | 833+1⁄3 podes | 79.2 m$^2$ (853 sq ft) | half a sixth |
| hektos | ἕκτος | 1,666+2⁄3 podes | 158.3 m$^2$ (1,704 sq ft) | a sixth of a plethron |
| aroura | ἄρουρα | 2,500 podes | 237.5 m$^2$ (2,556 sq ft) | field |
| plethron | πλέθρον | 10,000 podes | 950 m$^2$ (10,200 sq ft) | |
| Except where noted, based on Smith (1851). Metric equivalents are approximate. |||||

## Volume

Greeks measured volume according to either solids or liquids, suited respectively to measuring grain and wine. A common unit in both measures throughout historic Greece was the cotyle or cotyla whose absolute value varied from one place to another between 210 ml and 330 ml. The basic unit for both solid and liquid measures was the κύαθος (kyathos, plural: kyathoi).
The Attic liquid measures were:
Attic measures of liquid capacity :
| Unit | Greek name | Equal to | Modern equivalent | Description |
| kochliarion | κοχλιάριον | | 4.5 mL (0.15 US fl oz; 0.16 imp fl oz) | spoon |
| chēmē | χήμη | 2 kochliaria | 9.1 mL (0.31 US fl oz; 0.32 imp fl oz) | a measure |
| mystron | μύστρον | 2+1⁄2 kochliaria | 11.4 mL (0.39 US fl oz; 0.40 imp fl oz) | Roman ligula |
| konchē | κόγχη | 5 kochliaria | 22.7 mL (0.77 US fl oz; 0.80 imp fl oz) | shell-full |
| kyathos | κύαθος | 10 kochliaria | 45.5 mL (1.54 US fl oz; 1.60 imp fl oz) | Roman cyathus |
| oxybaphon | ὀξυβαφον | 1+1⁄2 kyathoi | 68.2 mL (2.31 US fl oz; 2.40 imp fl oz) | Roman acetabulum |
| tetarton, hēmikotylē | τέταρτον, ἡμικοτύλη | 3 kyathoi | 136.4 mL (4.61 US fl oz; 4.80 imp fl oz) | Roman quartarius |
| kotylē, tryblion or hēmina | κοτύλη, τρύβλιον, ἡμίνα | 6 kyathoi | 272.8 mL (9.22 US fl oz; 9.60 imp fl oz) | Roman cotyla or hemina |
| xestēs | ξέστης | 12 kyathoi | 545.5 mL (1.153 US pt; 0.960 imp pt) | Roman sextarius |
| chous | χοῦς | 72 kyathoi | 3.27 L (6.9 US pt; 5.75 imp pt) | Roman congius |
| keramion | κεράμιον | 8 choes | 26.2 L (6.9 US gal; 5.8 imp gal) | Roman amphora quadrantal |
| metrētēs | μετρητής | 12 choes | 39.3 L (10.4 US gal; 8.6 imp gal) | amphora |
| Except where noted, based on Smith (1851). Metric equivalents are approximate. |||||
and the Attic dry measures of capacity were:
Attic measures of dry capacity :
| Unit | Greek name | Equal to | Modern equivalent | Description |
| kochliarion | κοχλιάριον | | 4.5 mL (0.15 US fl oz; 0.16 imp fl oz) | |
| kyathos | κύαθος | 10 kochliaria | 45.5 mL (1.54 US fl oz; 1.60 imp fl oz) | Roman cyathus |
| oxybaphon | ὀξυβαφον | 1+1⁄2 kyathoi | 68.2 mL (2.31 US fl oz; 2.40 imp fl oz) | Roman acetabulum |
| kotylē or hēmina | κοτύλη, ἡμίνα | 6 kyathoi | 272.8 mL (9.22 US fl oz; 9.60 imp fl oz) | Roman cotyla or hemina |
| xestēs | ξέστης | 12 kyathoi | 545.5 mL (1.153 US pt; 0.960 imp pt) | Roman sextarius |
| choinix | χοῖνιξ | 24 kyathoi | 1.09 L (2.3 US pt; 1.92 imp pt) | |
| hēmiekton | ἡμίεκτον | 4 choinikes | 4.36 L (1.15 US gal; 0.96 imp gal) | Roman semimodius |
| hekteus | ἑκτεύς | 8 choinikes | 8.73 L (2.31 US gal; 1.92 imp gal) | Roman modius |
| medimnos | μέδιμνος | 48 choinikes | 52.4 L (13.8 US gal; 11.5 imp gal) | |
| Except where noted, based on Smith (1851). Metric equivalents are approximate. |||||

## Currency

The basic unit of Athenian currency was the obol, weighing approximately 0.72 grams of silver:
| Unit | Greek name | Equivalent | Weight |
| obol or obolus | ὀβολός | 1⁄6 drachma, 4 tetartemorions | 0.72 g (0.023 ozt) |
| drachma | δραχμή | 6 obols | 4.3 g (0.14 ozt) |
| mina | μνᾶ | 100 drachmae | |
| talent | τάλαντον | 60 minae | |

## Mass

Mass is often associated with currency since units of currency involve prescribed amounts of a given metal. Thus for example the English pound has been both a unit of mass and a currency. Greek masses similarly bear a nominal resemblance to Greek currency yet the origin of the Greek standards of weights is often disputed. There were two dominant standards of weight in the eastern Mediterranean: a standard that originated in Euboea and that was subsequently introduced to Attica by Solon, and also a standard that originated in Aegina. The Attic/Euboean standard was supposedly based on the barley corn, of which there were supposedly twelve to one obol. However, weights that have been retrieved by historians and archeologists show considerable variations from theoretical standards. A table of standards derived from theory is as follows:
       Unit Greek name Equivalent Metric Equivalent Aeginetic standard obol or obolus ὀβολός 0.72 g (0.025 oz) 1.05 g (0.037 oz) drachma δραχμή 6 obols 4.31 g (0.152 oz) 6.3 g (0.22 oz) mina μνᾶ 100 drachmae 431 g (15.2 oz) 630 g (22 oz) talent τάλαντον 60 minae 25.86 kg (57.0 lb) 37.8 kg (83 lb)

## Time

Athenians measured the day by sundials and unit fractions. Periods during night or day were measured by a water clock (clepsydra) that dripped at a steady rate and other methods. Whereas the day in the Gregorian calendar commences after midnight, the Greek day began after sunset. Athenians named each year after the Archon Eponymous for that year, and in Hellenistic times years were reckoned in quadrennial epochs according to the Olympiad.
In archaic and early classical Greece, months followed the cycle of the Moon which made them not fit exactly into the length of the solar year. Thus, if not corrected, the same month would migrate slowly into different seasons of the year. The Athenian year was divided into 12 months, with one additional month (Poseidon deuterons, thirty days) being inserted between the sixth and seventh months 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 start of the year was at the summer solstice (previously it had been at the winter solstice) and months were named after Athenian religious festivals, 27 mentioned in the Hibah Papyrus, circa 275 BC.
| Month | Greek name | Gregorian equivalent |
| Hecatombaeon | Ἑκατομβαιών | June–July |
| Metageitnion | Μεταγειτνιών | July–August |
| Boedromion | Βοηδρομιών | August–September |
| Pyanepsion | Πυανεψιών | September–October |
| Maemacterion | Μαιμακτηριών | October–November |
| Poseideon | Ποσειδεών | November–December |
| Gamelion | Γαμηλιών | December–January |
| Anthesterion | Ἀνθεστηριών | January–February |
| Elaphebolion | Ἐλαφηβολιών | February–March |
| Munychion | Μουνυχιών | March–April |
| Thargelion | Θαργηλιών | April–May |
| Scirophorion | Σκιροφοριών | May–June |