# Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea/On The Measure of the Greek Stadium

ON
OF THE
GREEK STADIUM
ON
THE MEASURE
OF THE
GREEK STADIUM.
Name whence dervied. THE Stadium is allowed to be a measure of Grecian original though well known, and in use, among the Romans.
It had its name, as some say, from the stop at the end of the course for foot-races, at Pisa in Elis, which course was of this length. Others derive it from a word which implies the space a man was able to run without taking breath.
This measure was not uniform, it being acknowledged that there were stadia of different lengths.
Olympic stadium in the most general use for itineary purposes.
The Olympic stadium however, of which I mean principally to treat, appears to have been in the most general use as an itinerary ​measure, the others being mostly confined to local, or provincial disiricts.
Length of the Olympic stadium.The Olympic stadium consisted of 600 Greek feet, as appearsfrom several authorities.
From Herodotus.Herodotus says, "that the pyramids of Egypt were 100 ὀργυιαὶ, or fathoms, in height, and that 100 legal fathoms were equal to a stadium of six plethra. The fathom measures six feet, or four cubits, and each foot measures four palms, (τετραπαλαίϛων) and each cubit six palms." The word δίκαιαι here used implies, I think, that the measures above specified were of the standard or established kind.
From Hero.Hero says, the Radium contained 600 Philetaerian feet.
From Suidas.Suidas says, the stadium contained 600 feet, and the plethron 100 feet.
From Strabo.Strabo says, that most people counted 8 stadia to be equal
A measure apparently different given by Collumella
Several of the Roman Writers indeed assign an apparently different measure to the stadium. Columella says, that a stadium contains 125 paces, which, he says, make, 625 feet; (each passus,
​or pace, containing five feet,) and the number of paces contained in each stadium being multiplied by eight make up 1000 paces, or 5000 feet.
and by pliny; Pliny says, that a sadium contains 125 Roman paces that is 625 feet.
and Censrinos;Censorinus says, that the Italic stadium contains 625 feet, Olympic 600 feet, and the Pythic 1000 feet.
and Frontinus;Frontinus says, the stadium contains 625 feet and 1000 paces, or 5000 feet, equal to eight stadia.
and an anymous writer.The author of the treatise de Limitibus, and the one de Mensuris, say, "that the Radium is the least computation of distance used by travellers; that it contains 125 paces, which are equal to 625 feet, and this last sum multiplied eight times makes a mile, which consists of 5000 feet."
These accounts however are perhaps not more than seemingly discordant. The Olympic itadiurri, which is understood to be meant when nothing is expressed to the contrary, was composed of 60o Herculean feet, each of which exceeded the common foot, in the same proportion as the length of the foot of Hercules did the ​length of an ordinary man. Explanation of the difference of these accounts This difference of length appears to have been in the proportion of 25 to 24. The real length of the stadium was the same among the Romans as it was among the Greeks; but the Greek foot being longer than the Roman, caused the Greeks to reckon fewer feet to the stadium than was done by the Romans.
Even when the length of the mile was reduced, that of the stadium seems to have continued the lame as formerly. Thus Suidas reckons the mile in his time only at seven stadia and an half or 4500 feet; by which it is clear, that he means the proportion of 600 feet to a stadium, and those Herculean feet, which he had before reckoned at 4800 to a mile.
I have no doubt therefore that 600 feet was the standard, or legal measure of the stadium; and in this opinion almost all the early writers agree, except when they speak of measurements governed by local customs. Causes of the errors of ancient writers Errors and inconsistencies are however frequent, from the ancient writers quoting so often as they appear to have done from memory only; from the Want of a free communication of information, and from the natives of one country not understanding the language, customs, or usages of another. Thus Strabo tells us, that Polybius, who had probably been used to count 600 Greek feet to the Radium, observes, that, according to this computation, one third of a itadium was necessary to be added to each mile of eight ftadia, in order to bring it to 'its proper length.
​This must have arisen from a want of considering the difference between the Greek and the Roman foot, the former being to the latter in the proportion of 25 to 24, which corresponds with the additional quantity required by Polybius, in order to supply the deficiency in the mile. It is not however clear whether the error was in Polybius or in Strabo, since in another passage of the former author, now extant in his original works, he fays, that the distances from one city or river to another "were distinctly and accurately marked by the Romans, and divided into portions of eight stadia each." This indicates that the Romans in his time allowed eight stadia to a mile, and no more; which indeed Strabo admits to be the general custom, and is confirmed by this passage of Polybius, who in this place gives no account of any additional quantity necessary to make up the mile.
If then Polybius reckoned 600 feet to the Radium, as he appears to have done by Strabo's account, he must, in the passage last cited, have meant Greek feet; otherwise the mile would have been one-third of a stadium, or about 208 Roman feet, short of its proper length.
Plutarch, or those from whom he derived his information, seems to have been milled in the same way. He tells us, "that Caius Gracchus caused all the roads to be divided into miles, each mile containing a little less than eight stadia, and erected pillars of stone to mark these divisions."
​By this passage I suppose is meant only, that a, mile of eight stadia of 600 feet each, measured by the Roman foot, was inferior in length to one of the same nominal dimensions, but measured by the Greek foot; which last we may reasonably conclude to have been in general use, in estimating the length of the Radium, which was a measure confessedly of Greek original.
It should be considered, that this quantity was assigned to each mile, at the first erection of mile-stones, when their computations might be less correct, and when, as Aulus Gellius tells us was done in later ages in some places, they preserved the number of feet in a stadium, though they reckoned by a shorter foot.
Mr. D'Anville has, I think, incautiously blamed Cenforinus, for faying, that the Italic and the Olympic itadia were of different lengths, when he might mean only, that the Olympic and the were different, since We can scarcely suppose ~a man of the learning of Cenforinus to be ignorant of the difference of length between the Greek and the Roman foot..
Length of the Greek foot.
Let us now endeavour to ascertain the length of the Greek foot, as on this the other calculation must in a great meatfure depend. For this purpose it will be necessary first to consider the length of the Roman foot.
​Length of the Roman foot.Dr, Murdoch is of opinion, that the itinerary foot among the Romans differed from the one in domeitic use. But. I see no grounds for this supposition. Columella assumes the foot as the origin and foundation of measurernents of every kind, either by its multiplications, or by its divisions, and specifies of the former kind, passus, actus, climata, jugera, stadia, centuriæ, and other spaces of greater extent. The foot which he describes must therefore have been the itinerary foot.
Vitruvius gives the same account of the foot with Columella; as that it contains four palms, or sixteen digits, and that it is to the cubit in the proportion of four to fix.
We cannot doubt that the foot described by Vitruvius was the architectural foot, and, as such, the same with the one on the monument of Coffutius at Rome. This may be inferred from Greaves's account, as he found the larger stones in the pavement of the Pantheon to correspond exactly with three Coffutian feet, and the smaller, with one Coffutian foot and a half. The person, to whose memory this is thought to have been erected, was by trade a sculptor, or perhaps more probably a builder, as we may infer from the compasses, square, and level, inscribed on his tomb, ​and would therefore use the same measure with that employed in buildings. It appears then that this foot was used in superficial measurement; and Vitruvius, who derives his measurs from the proportions of the human body, which he aifumes as a standard, makes' no difference between the foot used in the construction of buildings, and that employed in the mensuration of distances on the road. The author of the Treatise de Mensuris says farther, that the measures taken from the proportions of the human body are those "quæ ad viatores seu ad cursores pertinent"
Romans used one kind of foot measure only.We may then, I think, fairly conclude, that the Romans used one foot measure only, and that the Cossutian foot was the Roman foot for all purposes.
Dr. Murdoch speaks twice of the pes monetalis of Athens, for which he seems to cite Greaves, who is so far from regarding it as an Attic measure, that he calls it the pes monetalis, or Romanus.
Dr. Murdoch again says, that the proportion of the pes monetilis to the English foot is as 19 to 20; and adds, that the term monetalals is to be found in Hyginus. It is certainly mentioned twice by that author; but it refers in both places to the Roman, and not to the Attic foot.
Pes monetalis whence derived.The word monetalis is of Roman, not of Greek extraction, and ​derived from an epithet of Juno, in whose temple the money was coined. The pes monetalis, or rather its subdivisions, seem to have been the standard for measuring the diameter of the silver coin; and it appears from Vitruvius, and others, that there was much connection between the Greek and Roman measures and the Greek and, Roman money. The pes monetae is mentioned frequently by the Writers of the middle ages, and is defined from one of these by Du Cange, to be "meta monetariis præscripta in "cudendis nummis, quam omnino observare tenentur." From this hint, I examined several very fair Roman coins, both aurei and ​denarii, and found the beaded circle impressed on them to coincide very nearly with Mr. Greaves's proportion of the digitus.
Dr. Murdoch himself cannot discover the length of the Roman itinerary foot, as he calls it, from any of his calculations. In the estimation of the distance between Bologna and Modena, he computes the Roman foot at one-sixty-fourth, or a quarter of a digit, less than the English : in reckoning the distance between London and Verulam, he makes it to be one-thirty-second, or half a digit, less; which differs very little from the proportion assigned by Mr. Greaves.
Again, he computes the Roman itinerary foot to be to the English as forty-five to forty-four, or one-forty-fourth part greater. Such confusion arises from unauthorised suppositions. The Roman itinerary foot, as distinguished from the common Roman foot, is to me as visionary as the pes monetalis of Athens.
Table of the dimensions of the beaded circle on the circumerfernce of several Roman Coins. :
| Gold Coins. | Diameter of the beaded circle in decimals of an inch |
| Vespafian | .710 |
| Trajan | .740 |
| Trajan | .725 |
| Hadrian | .740 |
| Reverse | .725 |
| Silver Coins. | |
| Consular | .695 |
| Consular | .725 |
| Consular | .725 |
| Divililius | .72 5 |
| Divus Augutius | .725 |
| Claudius | .695 |
| Domitian | .725 |
| Domitian | .700 |
| Domitian | .690 |
| Domitian | .710 |
| Trajan | .710 |
| Trajan | .710 |
| Hadrian | .710 |
| Hadrian | .705 |
| Marc. Aurelius | .725 |
| Alex. Severus | .71 | bad silver |
| Gordian | .775 | bad silver |
| Philippus | .820 | bad silver |
Having thus, I hope, settled the length of the Roman, it remains to speak of the Greek foot, and the proportion which these bear to one another.
This is computed by Greaves to be in the ratio of 25 to 24, the Greek foot exceeding the Roman in that proportion, which is the same within a very minute fractional part with that of 1007.29 to 967; and this proportion has been adopted by Arbuthnot, and indeed, with an almost imperceptible difference, by Dr. Reinhold Forster.
how discoverable Our knowledge of this proportion is deduced from V
1 . The difference of number between the Greek and the Roman feet, said to be contained in the Radium, there being 600 Greek feet, as we have already seen, and 025 Roman feet, which, if we suppose the stadium to be of an equal length in both computations, makes the Greek foot to be longer than the Roman, in the ratio of 25 to 24.
2. The passage -of Polybius cited by Strabo, and mentioned above, which seems to give the same proportion.
3. The proportion of the Philxterian foot, which is described to be ⁠1/600⁠ part of a Radium, and appears to have been the Greek foot, and was, as Salmasius says it down ⁠1/14⁠ part longer than the Roman foot, or pes monetalis.
​4. From the description of the Ptolemaic foot, given by Hyginus which appears to be the same with the Greek, and was half an inch longer than the pes monetalis, or as 25 to 24.
5. From the measures of ancient buildings, now remaining. "Mr. Stuart," as we are told by the editor of the two last volumes of the Antiquities of Athens, appears to have taken very great pains to discover the true length of the Greek foot, from different measures of the temple of Minerva Parthenon; which, from its name Hecatompedon, was supposed to contain a measure of an hundred feet, in some conspicuous part of the building."
The difference of the foot, and the proportion it bears to English measure, taken from various parts of the building, are as follows.
TABLE I. :
| | | ENGLISH MEASURE. | ENGLISH MEASURE. |
| | | Inches. | Dec parts. |
| I. | Length of the upper Rep in front of the temple gives for one greek foot. | 12. | 13900 |
| II. | From outside to outside of the angular columns | 12. | 09500 |
| III. | From center to center of the front columns | 12. | 09080 |
| IV. | From the Roman foot, by measure of the obelisk of Sesostris | 12. | 11551 |
| V. | Length of the architrave | 12. | 06250 |
| VI. | Length of the third Rep in vol. ii. pag. 8. | 12. | 13700 |
| | Average of the whole | 12. | 10697 |
| | Average of Nos. I. II. III. V. VI. | 12. | 08080 |
TABLE II. :
| Suppose the English foot to be as | 1000.000 | 1000.000 |
| The Greek foot, according to Greaves, is | 1007.290 | 1007.290 |
| According to No. I. in the other table | 1011.591 | 1011.591 |
| According to No. II | 1008.000 | 1008.000 |
| According to No. III | 1007.680 | 1007.680 |
| According to No. IV | 1009.600 | 1009.600 |
| According to No. V | 1005.210 | 1005.210 |
| According to No. VI | 1011.410 | 1011.410 |
| Average of Mr. Stuart's calculations | 1008.915 | 1008.915 |
| Proportion of Greek foot to Roman | 25:23.9614 | 25:23.9614 |
| | Eng. feet | Dec. parts. |
| Length of Greek Olympic Radium, according to Mr. Stuart's calculation of the foot . | 605. | 341 |
The near coincidence of these calculations with those of Mr. Greaves is a strong presumption of the correctness of both, and proves how much those have been deceived who have attempted to reduce the Greek foot to less than two-thirds of the English. But of this more hereafter.
Mr Rennel's account of the length of the stadium considered Mr. Rennel, in his work entitled "The Geographical System of "Herodotus," mentions the Olympic stadium of 600 feet, but alledges, that, "there is no testimony of the application of this stadium to itinerary purposes. On the contrary, every portion of distance, as well throughout Herodotus's history, as the writings of other Greeks, appears, on a reference to the ground itselfl to be measured by 'a itade of a much shorter standard, most of them rising above that of Xenophon, which is of 750 to a degree, but falling below that of Strabo, which is of 700." ​To Mr. Rennel's assertion, that there is no testimony of the application of the Olympic itadium to itinerary purposes by Herodotus, it may be replied, that there is as much testimony as could be expected. It is described as a superficial measure by that writer, and its parts or subdivisions particularised, and this but a few lines after be had specified the extent of the lake Mœris,From the dimensions of the lake Mœris. which he estimates at 3600 stadia, or 450 miles, in circumference, a space which Mr. Rennel will surely allow to be sufficient to be accounted an itinerary computation. Now Herodotus never describes any other stadium, or gives any reason to think, that the one used in computing the extent of the lake Mœris was of a different length from the one described just: after. It is worth remarking, that Herodotus, at the beginning of the same book, tells us, "that those who have but a small portion of land, measure it by the ὀργυιὰ, or fathom; those who have more, measure it by the stadium; those who have much, by the paraianga; and those who possess countries of great extent, by the schoenus; the former of the two last-mentioned measures consisting of 30, and the latter of 60, stadia. Now the ὀργυιὰ is mentioned as the next division to the stadium in both these places, and of course we have reason to think that the same stadium was meant in both.
From the distance between Pisa and Athens In order to prove that Herodotus meant to express a Radium smaller than the Olympic, Mr. Rennel takes the distance between Pisa and Athens, which, he says, ought, if the numbers be not corrupted, to be accounted decisive." This distance was, according to Herodotus, fifteen stadia short of 1500, or 1485 stadia; and this, he says, agreed nearly with the one between Heliopolis in Egypt, and the sea. "The direct distance," Mr. Rennel says, is, "in D'Anville's map of Greece, 105 Greek miles." I have ​that map now before me, and this distance measures upon it 990 Olympic stadia, or 123 Greek miles and ¼. If we add to this ⅛, or 15 miles and ½, for the winding of the road, it will make up 139 miles and ¼, equal to 1114 stadia of 600 to a degree. Say then,1114:600::1485:700.8, or almost 800 to a degree.,
Let us now see what the number of stadia to a degree would be by Mr. Rennel's own numbers: 118. x 8. = 944:600::1485:943.850, both calculations very different from that of Mr. Rennel.
But the road which we may presume was usually travelled is as follows:
| From Pisa to Corinth | 570 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | Olympic stadia according to D'Anville's map. |
| From Corinth to Megara | 260 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | Olympic stadia according to D'Anville's map. |
| From Megara to Athens | 220 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | Olympic stadia according to D'Anville's map. |
| Direct distance from Pisa to Athens | 1049 |
Add⅛%, or 131 stadia, for; winding of the road, and the numbers will he 1180 stadia. Say then 1180:600::1485:755.08, a number not very different from the one assigned by Mr. Rennel, but not deducible from those calculations which he has, specified.
​The distance, according to Mr. Rochette's map of Greece, stands thus:
| From Pisa to Corinth | 63 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | English miles |
| From Corinth to Megara | 27 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | English miles |
| From Megara to Athens | 26 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | English miles |
| Distance from Pisa to Athens | 116 |
| Add ⅛ or 14½ miles, for winding of the road | 14.5 |
| | 130.5 |
Say then, 130.5:1485::60.5:700.86 for the number of stadia in a degree.
From the distance between Olympia and Sparta. But whatever dependence Mr. Rennel may place on this calculation, he owns that the account given by Paufanias, of the distance from Olympia to Sparta, leads to a different conclusion, and gives a stadium of nomore than 707 to a degree. Pausanias estmates this distance at 660 stadia; and Mr. Rennel says, "that on the map this distance is 50 Greek miles, or 56 by the broad, giving a rate of 707 to a degree. The Theodosian Table has 61 mille passus only, equal to about 49 Greek miles by the road."
The distance between Olympia and Sparta is, according to Mr. Danville's map, 500 stadia, or 62½ Greek miles, equal to 57.23 English miles, which last is nearly the distance laid down in Mr. Rochette's map. If we add to this ⅛ for winding, it will make ​up 562½ stadia, or 70 Greek miles, or nearly 64¼ English miles. Saythen, 64.326: 660:: 69.5:713.09, which is not far from Mr. Rennel's conclusion, though not founded on his calculations.
Let us now see how the account will stand, according to his own computation. 51.28 Engl. m.=56 Greek m.:660:: 69.5:817.22; very different from Mr. Rennel's calculation of 707 to a degree.
As to what Mr. Rennel says respecting the distance being by the Theodosian or Peutingerian Tables 61 m. p. I answer, that I have these now before me, in Bertius's edition of Ptolemy's Geography, and find that there are two roads' put down from Olympia to Lacedæmon, one the more direct by Melæna, the other following for a considerable part of it the sea coast. The more direct road has the distances marked on it no farther than from Olympia to Melaena, which last place is set down as 12 miles from Olympia, which, by Mr. D'Anville's map, appears to be nearly the true distance; but no farther specifications are to be found for the remainder of the way.
The road by the coast is as follows; with the distances as marked in the tables, and those measured in a strajght line in Mr. D'Anville's map of Greece.
| | Peutingerian Table. | Peutingerian Table. | D'Anville's map. | D'Anville's map. |
| From Olympia to Samaco | 15 | m. p. | 17 | m. p. |
| From Samaco to Cyparilfa | 24 | | 18 | |
| From Cyparissa to Pylus | 15 | | 142 | |
| From Pylus to Methone | 30 | | 19 | |
| From Methone to Aline | 12 | | 11 | |
| From Asine to Messene | 30 | | 28 | |
| From Messene to Lacedæmon | 30 | | 30 | |
| | 156 | Total. | 137 | |
| Add ⅛, or 17 m. p. to Mr. D'Anville | Add ⅛, or 17 m. p. to Mr. D'Anville | Add ⅛, or 17 m. p. to Mr. D'Anville | 17 | |
| | | | 154 | Total. |
The agreement between modern and ancient computation is here very remarkable; but I suspect that the road, to which Pausanias alludes, was more circuitous than the common allowance of will account for
From the account given by Herodotus of the length of the Bosporus. Let us now examine same of the distances of which we may be supposed to have more accurate accounts, and which Herodotus himself is said to have measured. He says, that the length of the Bosporus is 120 stadia. According to the large map of the Propontis, it measures 16 English miles; and, according to Mr. Arrowsmith's chart, 13° = 15 English miles. If we take the medium of these two computations, we may say, 15.5: 120:: 69.5:538 nearly.
We know not indeed the points between which Herodotus formed his menfurations; but they could not be far from those ​here fixed on; and this instance would argue, that Herodotus used a stadium considerably greater than even the Olympic. Again, Herodotus lays, that the Propontis is 1400 stadia in length; Of the Prpontis but by the large map it measures, including the Bofporus, which Herodotus says belongs to it, 142.5 English miles. Say then, 142.5: 1400:: 69.5: 683 nearly, sftrange disproportion between two distances so nearly connected.
The same writer estimates the length of the Hellespont at 400 stadia; but it measures, from Gallipoli to the opening into the Ægean sea, no more than 38 English miles, or about 331 Olympic stadia; though it winds so much, that Herodotus's calculation of the course of the Strait may be nearly just, and indicates, that he measured on this occasion by the Olympic stadium. But the truth is, that the measurements of Herodotus are in general so inaccurate, or so corrupted, as not to be depended on, and cannot be regarded as a foundation on which any standard measure can be establifhed, and fully justify the observation of Dr. Blair, that "nothing is more common than to find a confusion of numbers in the distances given us by ancient authors."
Mr. Rennel observes truly on the distance between Pisa and Athens, as laid down by Herodotus, that the distance from Heliopolis to the sea, which Herodotus describes as equal to the other, is not in reality more than 80 Greek miles.
Let us then apply to Xenophon, who, as he travelled himself, ​the distances, which he describes in Aiia Minor, may afford more satisfactory information. Length of the daily march of the army of Cyrus.Mr. Rennel tells us, that "Xenophon's ordinary march was 150 stadia daily, which both he and Herodotus accounts to be equal to five parasangas.” The proper way, I apprehend, of computing the march of Xenophon's army, is to take that part of it where they marched over ground with which they were acquainted; not where they were harassed and pursued by the enemy. I would therefore select the account of their march from Sardis to Babylon, a space where the distances were measured, and more to be depended on than those which occurred when they were traversing backwards and forwards deserts, and other difficult and dangerous paths, with which they were totally unacquainted.
March of Xenopbon, with the Greek Auxiliaries. :
| | Parasngas. | Days journey. | Stadia, according to D'Anville. |
| From Sardis to the Mænder | 22 | 3 | 475 |
| From the Maeander to Colosea | 8 | 1 | 200 |
| From Colosea to Celenæ | 20 | 3 | 475 |
| From Celanæ to Peltæ | 10 | 2 | 259 |
| From Peltæ to the Market of the Cramians | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| From the Market of the Cramians to Caystrus | 30 | 3 | 600 |
| From Caystrus to Thymbrium | 10 | 2 | 250 |
| From Thymbrium to Iconium | 20 | 3 | 675 |
| From Iconium to Tyana | 25 | 4 | 1275 |
| From Tyana to Tarsus | 254 | | 535 |
| From Tarsus to Pharus | 10 | 2 | |
| From Pharus to Pyramus | 5 | 1 | 350 |
| From Pyramus to Issus | 15 | 2 | 300 |
| From Issus to the Gates of Cilicia | 5 | 1 | 125 |
| From the Gates of Cilicia to Myriandrus | 5 | 1 | 150 |
| From Myriandrus to Calus | 20 | 4 | 600 ​ |
| From Calus to Daradax | 30 | 5 | 475 |
| From Daradax to Thapsacus | 15 | 3 | 930 |
| From Thapsacus to Araxes | 50 | 9 | |
| From Araxes through Arabia | 35 | 5 |
| From Corsotæ to Pylee | 90 | 13 |
| Through Babylonia | 12 | 3 |
| | 474 | 75 | 7665 |
Now 474 divided by 76 gives 6.2368, or almost six parasangas and a quarter, for a day's journey, not five, as Mr. Rennel says. Again, 6.2368 multiplied by 30 gives 187.104 stadia for a day's march, which, if we count by Olympic stadia, is equal to 21.34 English miles. This measure of a day's march differs much from the computation of Mr. Rennel, who assigns 15 miles only; but it is more agreeable to the accounts we have from antiquity of such military movements. But more of this presently.
The fourth column in the foregoing table marks the distances between the stages mentioned in Xenophon, measured from the scale of Olympic stadia annexed to Mr. D'Anville's map of Asia Minor. It is continued only from Sardis to Thapsacus, as the limits of the map did not afford an opportunity of pursuing it farther. The distance between every stage mentioned by Xenophon is not set down, as the several stages are not all marked in the map; but this makes little or no difference in the whole distance; and the coincidence of the numbers specified by Xenophon with those in D'Anville's map, is very remarkable. The distance between Sardis and Thapsacus was, according to Xenophon, 287 parasangas; which, reckoning 30 stadia to a parasanga, amounts to 8610 stadia. According to Mr. D'Anville's map, the sum of the ​direct distances between each stage amounts to 7665 Olympic stadia. If we add to this ⅛, or 958 stadia, for winding of the road, the comparative account will stand thus.
Distance from Sardis to Thrapsacus.
According to Xenophon, 8610 stadia.
| According to D'Anvilles's map | 7665 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | Olympic stadia |
| Add ⅛ | 958 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | Olympic stadia |
| | 8623 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | Olympic stadia |
Difference from Xenophon 13 stadia, or a 663d part of the whole distance.
Surely this coincidence, in a space of such an extent, is a sufficient proof that Xenophon used the Olympic stadium.
The above calculation for a day's march implies, no doubt, that it was accelerated beyond the usual rate; and that it was actually so, We are expressly told by Xenophon himself. After having said, that some of the marches were very long, he adds, that "upon the whole, Cyrus appeared throughout to hasten their march, stopping no where, unless to get provisions, or for something else that was necessary; for he judged, that the quicker he marched, the more unprepared the king would be to encounter him, and the flower, the more numerous would be the king's army; for it was obvious to any person of attention, that the Persian empire, though strong with regard to the extent of the country, and the numbers of men, was however weak by reason of the great distances of the places, and the division of its forces, when surprifed by a sudden invasion."
​Of Alexander. Arrian tells us, that Alexander marched from the lake Ascania Celæne in five days. This is, according to D'Anville's ancient map of Asia Minor, 1250 Olympic stadia, and 143 English miles by Rochette's map, and the same by D'Anville's modern map of Asia Minor. This makes 250 stadia, or 28½ English miles, for each day's march, allowing nothing for the winding of the road. If ½ allowed on that account, each day's march will be 280 stadia, equal to 32 English miles
Accounts from Herodotus Herodotus tells us, that 200 stadia, or 25 Greek miles, equal to 22.893 English miles, was a day's journey for a foot traveller; and that 150 stadia, or 18¼ Greek miles, was a day's march for an army.
From Strabo.Strabo assigns 250, or even 300, stadia for a day's journey for a foot traveller;From Prcopius and Procopius. mentions 210 as the usual computation.
From vegetiusVegetius, at a time when the Roman discipline began to decline, says, that the usual daily march of the army was 20 miles, which was performed in five hours; and that if they accelerated
​their pace, they could march 24 miles in the same time. If this appears to be a greater effort than soldiers in the present age are equal to, we should consider the effects of habit and exercise. The armour of our own forefathers, which was easily carried by them, and under the weight of which they even performed feats of activity, could scarcely be supported by a man of moderate strength in the present age. Vegetius tells us, that in his time the Weight of the armour and provisions, which was carried by the Roman soldiers on these long marches, amounted to 60 pounds. Yet We have reason to believe that this was done without any extraordinary difficulty. Their military exercise was a constant habituation to fatigue, whereas that of modern times is more adapted to the practice of quick motions, and rapid evolutions, than to the endurance of hardship and labour. This circumstance gave the soldiers of antiquity a capacity of performing what We can scarcely conceive. Yet we must not deny what is so incontestably proved, from writersof the best authority, and indeed from the general tenor of history.
From Cicero Cicero gives nearly the same account with Vegetius of the ​Roman discipline in his time, and of its effects, which Marius had before experienced in the Cimbric war. Men who could undergo such fatigues might well perform longer marches than those to which Mr. Rennel objects. But, fays Mr. R. the space of 14½ miles was the mean distance travelled by an Indian army. But that of Cyrus was not a tumultuary multitude of that kind. Xenophon himself relates a remarkable instance how forward the principal persons among them were to expedite the march of the army by their personal exertions. Cyrus himself was the most consummate general of the age in which he lived; he commanded forces raised in Greece, or in countries connected with it; he himself admired and practised the Grecian discipline; he promised himself the empire of Persia, by the aid of the Greeks; and although a tragical accident put an end at once to his life and to his hopes, his allies, in the midst of an enemy's country, and subject to every disadvantage, returned sword in hand, in despite of all the efforts of their enemies, by a different road, and reached Greece in safety. Surely such forces were as capable of a long ​march as the Roman armies were in the middle of the fourth century.
Mr. Rennel again allows that Strabo reckoned eight stadia to a mile, and that seemingly on his own judgment; and afterwards says, that if the opinion of Polybius is to be followed, one-third of a stadium is to be added, as he has allotted 8½ stadia to a mile. But I have before produced a passage from the works of Polybius, now extant, in which he allows eight stadia only to a, mile; and it is probable that the passiage cited by Strabo might be only to accommodate the Greek to the Roman measure, if it be not, as I have before hinted, a mistake of Strabo himself.
It is rather incorrect in Mr. Rennel to say that 8½ Olympic stadia, Of 600 feet each, were equal to 5000 feet. If he measures the Olympic stadium by Roman feet, and allows only 600 of these to a stadium, contrary to the account given by all the Roman writers, who assign 625 Roman feet to a stadium, his calculation will hold good; but it is more natural to suppose that a Greek measure should be computed by Greek feet. If these were meant, eight Olympic stadia, without any addition, though containing only 4800 Greek feet, would be equal to 5000 Roman feet, as has been observed before.
Mistake of Mr. Rennel.It is unfortunate that a person of Mr. Rennel's sagacity and abilities should fall into such a mistake, as to suppose, that a figure of eight could be substituted in place of a figure of in the MSS. of Strabo, when the use of the Arabic numerals was not introduced until a later date than that of any good MSS, of that writer, and when the number is not expressed by any numeral ​figures at all, but by the Greek word ὀκταϛάδιον, which requires more than the change of a tingle letter to metamorphose it into ἐννεαϛάδιον.
Testimonies concerning the length of the stadium drawn from the measures of ancient buildings. The measures of some of the ancient buildings may he applied towards ascertaing the length of the stadium, as well as that of the foot.
Pausanias tells us, that the Peribolus, or wall surrounding the court was at most four stadia in circumference. The dimensions, according to Mr. Stuart, are as follows:
| | Feet. | Inches | Dec. of Inceh. |
| Length | 688 | 6 | 5 |
| Breadth | 463 | 5 | 37 |
| | 1151 | 11 | 87 |
| 2 | 2303 | 11 | 74 |
equal to 2286 Greek feet nearly, which are one-nineteenth part and a half short of four Olympic stadia; but nevertheless sufficiently coinciding with the expression of Pausanias, supposing he meant Olympic stadia; but not if he meant stadia of the dimensions assigned by Mr Rennel.
​The length of the area of the Panatheæan stadium is yet distinguishable. It was accurately measured by Mr. Vernon, who accompanied Sir George Wheeler to that place, A. D. 1676, and was determined by him to be 630 English feet; and with this account both Dr. Chandler and Mr. Stuart agree. If we consider that the racers in the Radium, in the course called Δίαυλος, returned in the same direction in which they set out, we may allow 25 feet for the turn at the end round the meta; and if so, the length of the course will be 600 Greek feet, or 605 English feet; which, from this measurement, I think more than probable.
Opinion of Mr. Barré considered. In the nineteenth volume of the French Memoirs of Literature, including from the year 1744 to 1746, there are some dissertations on the length of the stadium, by Mr. De la Barré. That gentleman had conceived a notion, that the Radium of Herodotus was only ⅜ of the length of the one employed by Pliny; and this position, which abridges the length of the Radium more than any which, I have seen, is supported by him with much learning and ingenuity, though not altogether with candour and impartial representation.
He founds his argument on the length of the Pythic stadium, which, Censorinus tells us, constited of 1000 feet; whilst the Italic contained only 025, and the Olympic but 600 feet.
Mr. Barré thinks, that the Romans adopted the Pythic stadium from the intercourse which they had with Greece, when they feat, as they often did in early times, to consult, the Pythian of Delphic ​oracle. But this is all a conjecture of his own. The Pythic stadium never could have been in general use among the Romans, as it is never, as far as I can find, noticed, or even named, by any other Writer than Censorinus, even by those who treat professedly of the mensuration of distances. It seems probable that it was a local measure only, perhaps of the Gymnasium belonging to the place, and not in use elsewhere. But let us examine his arguments.
Argument from the words of Theophrastus, as translated.He begins with saying, that Pliny, translating a passage from Theophrastus, renders the words τρεῖς καὶ δέκα ὀργυιῶν, by centum triginta pedum; and as the words so applied signify that each ὀργυιὰ, or fathom, contains ten feet, which is four feet above the length assigned by Herodotus, it follows, that the fathom in the time of Pliny was as five to three to that used in the time of Herodotus; and from thence infers, that the stadium of Pliny exceeded that of Herodotus in the same proportion. But, supposing the reading to be genuine, all that I can infer from it is, that thirteen fathoms in the time of Theophrastus were, equal to 130 feet in the time of Pliny; and of course, that the fathom was increased in the proportion of five to three from the time of Herodotus to that of Theophrastus, a thing difficult to conceive, as the interval was no more than 137 years. But this no ways concerns Pliny's calculation of the length of the stadium, which he never reckons by fathoms, but by paces and feet; and says positively, that a stadium ​contains 125 of the former, and 625 of the latter. To suppose on such a random conjecture that Pliny ascribed 1000 feet to a stadium, when his. own words so directly contradict it, would be the height of absurdity.
But let us now examine, from the testimony of writers of authority, Greek an well as, Roman., if the- measure of ten Roman feet would not be utterly inconsistent with the description of the ὀργυιὰ, or fathom, itself.
Xenophon, who flourished only 54 years after Herodotus, describes the ὀργυιὰ to be the measure of the distance which reaches from the extremity of one arm to that of the other, when both are extended at right angles to the body. Phavorinus, Suidas, Hefychius, and Julius Pollux, explain it in. the same way.
The same measure, though without a name assigned to it, is described by Vitruvius, who makes it equal to the lengths of the body. It is also evident that Vitmvius meant eherebya measure of fix feet, as he reckons the measure of the foot as one-sixth part of the height.
Of the authors above cited, Vitruiius lived, about 126 years ​before Pliny; Julius Pollux lived about eighty years later, and Hesychius about 300 years after Pliny. Is it reasonable then to suppose that Pliny should aiiign ten Roman feet to a measure, universally allowed in his own time to be equal to the height of a man, as a ftandard? Six Roman feet are, in English measure, equal to 69.624 inches, or rather more than five feet nine inches and a half, which is nearly the medium size of well proportioned men. But if Pliny estimated the height of a man at ten Roman feet, equal to nine feet eight inches English measure, we must; suppose he borrowed his standard from the heroic ages, and was himself infected with the "Græciæ fabulositas," of which he more than once complains. But I suspect the passage cited from Pliny to be corrupt. It is certainly incorrect, as it describes the cedar, whose extraordinary size he records, as growing in Cyprus, when Theophraitus expressly says, that it grew in Syria.
Mr. Barré next remarks, that the circumference of the earth, as reckoned by Posidonius, who lived in the time of Pompey, was 240,000 stadia; which number, he obsewes, is to 400,000 (the number assigned by Aristotle) as 6 is to 10; and concludes from thence, that there was a difference of ⁠2/5⁠ in the length of the stadia, by which they'respectively calculated. But Posidonius no where says that his computation was derived from Aristotle; on the contrary, we know from Cleomedes, that it was deduced from an ​observation of the star Canopus, made by himself. He remarked, ​that this star was but just visible in the horizon of Rhodes, and that at Alexandria its meridian height was a forty-eighth part of a great circle in the heavens, or 7° 30′; and inferred from thence, what part of a great circle on the earth this difference would amount to. The distance between Rhodes and Alexandria he took for granted to be 5000 stadia; and of course the circumference of the earth would be 240,000 stadia. Cleomedes was however doubtful of this measurement; as he observes, that a less sum is to be taken, if the distance between Rhodes and Alexandria should be found to be less than 5000 stadia; which distance, Mr. Costard very properly observes, from Strabo, was not obtained by any attempt at mensuration, but only from the estimation of navigators. But when Posidonius heard that Eratosthenes had, by gnomonic observations, ascertained the distance between ​ and Rhodes to be no more than 3750 stadia, and taking this interval to be (what it is not) a forty-eighth part of the earth's circumference, he reduced his computation to 180,000 stadia; and this measure, in which the number of degrees assigned by Posidonius, and the number of stadia measured by Eratosthenes, are made use of, was received by Marinus of Tyre, and others, and is generally ascribed to Ptolemy, because he makes use of it in his geography.
Besides, Eratosthenes, who lived during the interval between Aristotle and Poiidonius, and 123. years later than Aristotle, had concluded the circumference of the earth to- be 250,000 stadia; or, as most account it, 252,000 stadia, from an observation of the distance between Syene and Alexandria, and the respective meridian altitude of the fun at each place.
​Archimedes, who was contemporary with Eratosthenes, mentions that 300,000 stadia was the number assigned by some for the circumference of the earth in his time.
The proportion therefore, which Mr. Barré remarks between the numbers of Aristotle and those of Pofidonius, was in all probability cafual, and serves only to confirm the remark of Dr. Blair, above cited, "that nothing is more common than to find a confusion of numbers in the measurements given us by ancient authors.”
In order to prove the ancient Greek Radium to be only ⁠3/5⁠ of the length of the one used in later times, by which Mr. Barré means those subsequent to the age of Alexander, he observes, that it had been before remarked, that a Roman mile did not always contain eight stadia, but sometimes only seven and a half. This might prove that there was a difference in the length of the mile, but proves nothing respecting that of the Radium. Strabo says, that in his time the usual computation was eight stadia, but that some reckoned only seven and a half. This difference seems however to have been provincial only.
Polybius, as I have before' remarked, reckons in general eight stadia to a mile; which, he says, was according to the Roman measurement. Livy appears to have used the same computation with Polybius. Thus, what Polybius calls διακόσια ϛάδια, lib. iii: sect. 47. 7. Livy calls viginti guingue millia, lib. xxi. sect. 28.
quaginta, duonzm millium stadiorum pro- didit. Quæ mensura, Romana computatione, efficit trecenties quindecies centena millia passum. Plin. lib. ii. cap. 128. 31.500 × 8 = 2 52.000. ​What Polybius calls ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐκκαίδεκα ϛαδίους, lib. iii. feet. 101. Livy renders by duo ferme a Geronio millia, lib. xxii. sect. 24. What Polybius calls ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ϛαδίους, lib. viii. sect. 28. Livy calls quindecim millia, lib.xxv. sect. 9. The words of Polybius, lib. xiv. sect. 4. περὶ γὰρ εξήκοντα ϛαδίους, are rendered by Livy, septem enim millia itineris erant, lib.xxx. sect. 4. where, as Sigonius observes, the whole passage is cited by Livy from Polybius. Again, περὶ τριάκοντα ϛαδίους, Polyb. lib. xiv. sect. 8. is rendered by Livy, 'quatuor ferme milia. lib. xxx. sect 8.
Mr. Barre next attempts to prove that the Roman foot was equal to the πῆχυς, or cubit, of the Greeks. Let us see how he supports this extraordinary position.
His first argument is drawn from the description of the plant called dracunculus; or, by Dioscorides, δρακόντιον, which the last mentioned writer says is two cubits high, and which Pliny describesas "bipedali fere altitudine." Taking it then for granted that Pliny copied Dioscorides, he would infer, from the last-mentioned passage, that the foot of Pliny, was equal to the cubit of Dioscorides. But Pliny himself is doubtful if the plant he calls dracunculus be in reality the δρακόντιον of the Greeks. The height of the plant (as Mr. Barré would reconcile the accounts) is the only circumstance in which they agree. Dioscorides mentions only two kinds, Pliny specifies three; and the description of their qualities in the respective authors by no means coincides.
Bodæus a Stapel, the learned editor of Theophraitus, thinks the ​account given by Pliny to be very erroneous; and adds, that the plant supposed to be the δρακόντιον is three feet high; which agrees with the description given by Diofcorides, supposing the cubit to be a foot and a half, but not with Pliny's account.
Again, Mr. Barré says, that the Greeks employed two different measures, or palms, in estimating the foot and the cubit; the smaller called παλαιϛὴ, and the larger σπιθαμή. The former of these he defines to be the breadth of the four fingers, laid close to one another; and the latter to be the breadth of the four fingers, with the addition of that of the thumb, in what he calls its natural Rate; which he explains to be when it appears a little separated from the fingers, as it always is when the hand is opened.
His definition of the former of these measures is just, but not so of the latter. The σπιθαμὴ is the span, not measured from the fingers lying close together, but from the thumb to the little finger, when both are extended. Indeed this is what the word itself denotes, being derived from σπίζω, which both Eustathius and the Scholiast on Aristophanes interpret to be of the same meaning with ἐκτείνω.
​Mr. Barré again assumes first, that there was the same difference between the σπιθαμὴ and the παλαιϛὴ, as there was between the cubit and the foot; namely, that they were each to the other as three to two; and again, that the σπιθαμὴ was equal to four Roman digits only, or a quarter of a foot. Now as he supposes the σπιθαμὴ to have been equal to the palmus, which was four Roman digits also, it follows that four spithames, which, according to his computation, are equal to six palestes, would be equal to the Greek cubit; and as each spithame was equal to the palmus, it followed that the Greek cubit would be equal to the Roman foot. But the length he assigns to the spithame can by no means be admitted. The δῶρον and the παλαιϛὴ were only different names for the same thing. The word didoron, we are told by Vitruvius, implied half a foot; and we learn from Hero, that the δῶρον was the third part of the σπιθαμή.
This is agreeable to what might be expected from the derivation of the terms. The breadth of the four fingers of a man's hand of moderate size is about three inches, or four Roman digits; and the extent of the fingers when it stretched out, as above described, is nearly nine inches, or twelve Roman digits, agreeable to the proportion above laid down.
It appears also, that, where accuracy of length is to be specified, the Romana translated the Greek word πῆχυς by the Latin word cubitus. Thus Herodotus, describing the cell wherein the body of Oreites was deposited, fays, that both that and the body were ​seven cubits in length; and Pliny, copying professedly from him, translates the word ἑπταπήχει by septem cubitorum; and Aulus Gellius does the same, and adds, that these seven cubits were equal to 12¼ Roman feet, which would make the Greek cubit longer than it has hitherto been supposed in any computation.
Again, the authors of the Septuagint, in describing the height of Goliah, who is represented to have been a man of gigantic staturetranslate the corresponding Hebrew words into, ὕψος αὐτοῦ τεσσάρων πήχεων καὶ σπιθαμῆς. This, if understood to be of the Greek cubit, according to common interpretation, will amount to six feet nine inches and six tenths of an inch; and, if we reckon according to Aulus Gellius's computation, will be seven feet seven inches and a quarter; both of them extraordinary heights, though neither of them exceeding credibility; as I have seen a man much taller than either.
But if we diminish this, according to Mr. Barré's calculation, to four Roman feet three inches, (equal to four English feet one inch and a quarter,) we shall sink this boasting giant into a dwarf; and probably make him much inferior in stature to his antagonist, David, whom he so much defpised.
We should consider that the authors of the Septuagint were persons of great learning, and knowledge both in the Greek and in the Hebrew tongues; and were also prior in date to Dioscorides by 330 years, and who must have known the real length of the ​Greek measures in their own time, too well to represent a man as a giant, who was only four feet and a quarter in height.
It must indeed be owned that the later Greek writers (incorrectly, I think) are apt to confound the spithame and the paleste. Thus Aetius, speaking of the viper, describes it as being in general of a cubit's length; and the longest παλαιϛῶν τριῶν. This last measure would amount but to 12 digits; or only three-quarters of a cubit, supposing the cubit to be of a foot length only. But if we understand that he meant three spithames, or thrice three-fourths of a Greek foot, such a measure exceeds a cubit in a proper prportion, or as three to two, or as 27 to 18. And this appears to be the real size of these animals.
Mr. Pennant says, that "they are seldom of a greater length than two feet; though once he saw a female viper almost: three feet long." This proves Aetius meant a foot and a half, and not a foot only, by the cubit. Many more instances of the confounding the two measures may be found in Constantine's Lexicon.
Mr. Barré next produces an argument from the size of the ​pygmies, which Pliny, Aulus Gellius, and Strabo say, were three spithames in height; or, as Pliny expreiies it, "ternos dodrantes non excedentes;" and Aulus Gellius, "non longiores esse quam pedes duos et quadrantem."
Eustathius, as Mr. Barré alledges, says of these people, that they were οὐδὲ πηχυαῖος τὸ μέγεθος, not of a cubit's size; and then reckoning the cubit as a foot only, he still farther reduces the size of these little folks. But I think Eustathius meant no more than to represent in strong terms the diminutive size of the pygmies, and not to assign to them any determinate proportion. Eustathius had before observed, that the δῶρον, or four fingers breadth, was one third of the spithame; and of course, that two spithames made a πῆχυς, or foot and a half.
Again, Mr. Barré, taking it for granted that the Greek cubit was equal to the Roman foot, adds, that of course 600 Greek feet were equal to 400 Roman feet; and that there must be 12½ Olympic stadia to make up the mile: and as the Pythic stadium was greater by ⁠2/5⁠, it Inuit follow, that seven and a half of the latter would be required to make up the mile; and that 7500 Greek feet, equal to 5000 Greek cubits, or 5000 Roman feet, would be equal to a Pythic Radium.
But Herodotus and Diodorus, neither of whom reckoned by the Pythic stadium, assign 3600 stadia for the circumference of the ​lake Mœris; and Mucianus, a person of great authority, and frequently cited by Pliny, says, that it is 450 mille passus. Now 450 × 8 = 3600.
I with to repeat here in some degree what I before mentioned cursorily respecting the Olympic foot and the Olympic stadium. We are told by Aulus Gellius, that these measures exceeded the others in the same proportion as the foot of Hercules did that of ordinary men. The foot, we should recollect, was supposed to be one sixth of the height of the person. But what must we think of the stature of Hercules, should the length of his foot be reduced to eight Roman inches What must we think of the common race of mortals at that time, when he who is described, "corpore excemorem quam alios" was only of the diminutive size above described?
I agree with Mr. Barré, that it is probable that Pliny copied Herodotus in his account of the thickness and height of the walls of Babylon: but his account is very incorrect, and inconsistent with the original, as Mr. Barré, and before him Salmaiius, had observed. If the royal cubit was three digits longer than the ​common cubit, the royal foot could be only two digits longer than the common foot.
It should however be remarked, that Pliny, when describing the extent of the circuit of the Walls of Babylon, lays it down as being sixty miles, which corresponds with the 480 Iiadia of Herodotus, reckoning these at eight to a mile, which is very different from Mr. Barré's calculation.
In like manner the city of Nineveh is described in the book of Jonah as being very great, and about three days journey in circuit, (ὡσεὶ πορείας τριῶν ἡμερῶν. It is agreed that 20 m. p. are the allotted measure for a day's journey, so that the whole amounts to 60 m. p. equal to the 480 stadia assigned by Diodorus for the circumference of that city.
The promontory of Sunimn is, according to Strabo, 330 stadia from Piræus; and, according to Pliny, 42 Roman miles. Now 330 ÷ 8 = 41.25, very near Pliny's calculation, at eight stadia to a mile.
Arrian, in the Periplus of the Euxine sea, says, that the distance from the Temple of Jupiter Urius to the river Rhebas is 90 stadia. This measures on the large map of the Propontis about nine English miles; to which if we add ⅛, for the winding of the road, we shall have about 89.87 Olympic stadia, almost exact to Arrian's ​calculation. The distance from the Rhebas to Acra Melaenæ is counted by Arrian 150 stadia; but it measures by the large map 18½ English miles nearly. If to these we add ⅛ for winding, we shall have upwards of 20½ miles, equal to about 170 stadia, or nearly a fifth part more than Arrian's computation. But, on the other hand, from Heraclea to Amastris is, according to Arrian, 690 stadia; but by Arrowsmith's chart it measures, in a straight line, 542 stadia; to which if we add ⅛, it comes nearly to 609 stadia, or 81 short of Arrian's computation.
Again, from Amastris to Carambis is, according to Arrian, no more than 480 stadia; but by Arrowsmith's chart it measures, in a direct line, 550, and with the addition of ⅛, 619 stadia. It is obvious that no just conclusion respecting the length of the stadium can be drawn from the two last instances.
From Sinope to Amisus is, according to Arrian, 1020 stadia; but by Arrowsmith's chart it is, in a right line, 786 stadia only; and 884, with the addition of ⅛. The difference in the distance between Amisus and Cera suntum is still greater. Arrian makes it 1570 stadia; Arrowsmith's chart no more than 925, in a direct line; and, with the addition of ⅛, only 1041.
Faden's map however makes it to be 1226 stadia, or 1379, with the addition of ⅛. D'Anville makes it 1110 stadia in a direct line, or 1248.7 with the addition of ⅛. Modern geographers in this instance vary nearly as much from one another, as modern do from ancient.
​The last instance I shall produce from Arrian shews a nearer coincidence. From Cerasus to Trapezus is, according to Arrian, 745 stadia. It measures on D'Anville's map 660; and, with the addition of ⅛, = 85 stadia, makes up 745, agreeing exactly with Arrian. Arrowsmith's chart agrees nearly herewith. It measures by that 649 stadia; and, with the addition of ⅛, equal to 81 stadia, makes up 730 stadia; not differing so much as two Greek miles from the calculation of Arrian.
There is in the 28th volume of the Mémoires de Littérature, page 362, a paper written by Mr. De la Nauze, on this subject. He is of opinion that Herodotus, Xenophon, Arisitotle, and other writers of antiquity, employed a Radium of ten to a mile. He begins his proof of this with saying, that Herodotus ascribes fifty fathoms, or ὀργυιαὶ, to the depth of the lake Moeris in Egypt, which is rendered by Pliny fifty paces; and as the former of these measures was to the latter in the proportion of 6 to 5, he inferred that the stadia of Herodotus were ten to a mile. But first, the proportion of 6 to 5 is not correctly the same with that of ten to eight. 0: 5:: 10: 8.333. Again, there is reason to think that the passus, when applied to explain the ὀργυιὰ., means six feet, and refers to the expansion of the arms, not of the legs. Pitiscus's Lexicon derives it "a passis vel expansis brachiis, et dicitur Græcis ὀργυιὰ, quæ est mensura sex pedum, quæ inter ambas manus, mensurato simul pectore, continetur expansas."
Another instance adduced by Mr. La Nauze is taken from the supposed distance between Ephesus and Sardis. But this has been so differently computed by geographers, modern as well as ancient, that it is difficult to draw any conclusion.
Distance from Ephesus to Sardis.
According to Herodotus 540 Olympic stadia.
According to Mr. La Nauze, from De Lise's map of Ancient Greece, 37° =42.704 English miles, = 373.075 Olympic stadia.
According to Mr. D'Anville, 480 Olympic stadia.
According to Mr. Rochette, 66 English miles, = 576 stadia.
According to Mr. Arrowsmith, 59′ 30″, = 68.623 English miles, = 602.5 Olympic stadia.
It must: be observed, that these calculations of the modern geographers refer to the direct distance. If ⅛ be added, it will stand thus:
Ds Lrsmz. .
37 + ⅛ (=4.625) = 41.625 == 48.48 English miles, = 423 Olympic stadia;
which last number is to that assigned by Herodotus, (540) as 8 to 10.2126; and of course should give the last-mentioned number for that of the stadia contained in a mile.
D'Anville, Map, of Asia Minor.
480 + ⅛ (= 60) = 540;
the same with Herodotus, and eight to a mile.
Rochette, Map of Greece.
66 Eng. miles, + ⅛ (=8.25) = 74.25 = 648.7 Olympic stadia, or 6.6595 to a mile.
Arrowsmith, Map of Turkey in Europe.
68.623 + ⅛ (=8.57) = 77.201 = 675 Olympic stadia; or 6.4 to a mile;
which makes the stadium of Herodotus longer than the usual computation of the Olympic in the proportion of 5 to 4. For 5: 675:: 4: 540.
​This instance then, if it proves any thing, proves the direct contrary to the opinion of Mr. La Nauze.
The same gentleman again alledges, that Herodotus has estimated a ship's sailing for a day and a night at 1300 stadia; whereas Ptolemy allows 1000 stadia only; which difference he supposes to be owing to their employing stadia of different lengths. But the voyage of Scylax, whose date, though not ascertained, is confessedly much prior to the age of Ptolemy, allows no more than 1000 stadia; and Herodotus speaks of 700 stadia as a long day's sail; μακρημερίν and the Words, which assign 600 stadia as a night's sail, are in many copies wanting altogether.
The ancient writers made a great difference between a long day's sail and one of a common day. Xenophon says, that a trireme galley could row, in a very long day, (Ἡμέρας μάλα μακρὰς πλοῦς,) from Byzantium to Heraclea; which distance is, by Arrowsmith's chart of the Black sea, 131 English miles, or 1144 Olympic stadia. The longest day in that latitude is less than 15 hours, and the complement of this number to 24 would allow time sufficient to complete a voyage of more than 1300 stadia (supposing them to be Olympic) in a day and night.
The last instance I mean to cite from Mr. La Nauze does, I think, no credit to his candour. He says, that Herodotus lays down 200 stadia as the extent of a day's journey of a foot traveller; and that Vegetuis had mentioned 20 miles as the day's march of the Roman soldiers; which, he observes, is just ten stadia to a mile. But Herodotus expressly refers to the distance travelled by a foot messenger, not to the march of armies. When the ​latter is undefined, he asssigns 150 stadia only, or 18¾ roman miles, a distance sufficiently near to Vegetius's calculation.
The above facts and arguments will, I trust, prove that, Where the stadium is mentioned, and no specification of a different measure appears, the Olympic stadium of eight to a mile is understood; especially in the earlier writers, as Herodotus, Xenophon, Diodorus, Strabo, Arrian, and even Pauianias.
* ↑ Aul. Gell. i. cap. 1. διὰ τὴν ϛάσιν. Phavorini Lexicion.
* ↑ Παρὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ δρόμῳ τάσιν. Phavor. The word τάσις in the sense here used, in explained by a passage cited from Hermogenes, in Stephen's Greek Thesaures. Τάσις δὲ ἐϛὶ τοῦ λόγου, ὅταν ὑπεραίρῃ τῷ μέτρῳ τοῦ λόγου τὸ πνεῦμα μακρότερον γενόμενον τοῦ δυνάσθαι ἐν ἰδίῳ ληφθῆναι τοῦ λέγοντος πνεῦματι. τοῦτο γάρ ἐϛιν ἡ τάςις, τὸ ἀποτετάσθαι ἐπὶ μακρότερον ἢ χρὴ τὸ πνεῦμα. Hermogen. de Invent. lib. iv.
* ↑ Οὔτω αἱ μὲν πυραμίδες εἰσὶ ἑκατὸν ὀργυιέων, αἱ δ' ἑκατὸν ὀργυιαὶ δίκαιαί εἰσι ϛάδιον ἑξάπλεθρον ἑξαπέδου μὲν τῆς ὀργυιῆς μετρεομένης ϗ̀ τετραπήχεος, τῶν ποδῶν μὲν τετραπαλαίϛων ἐόντων, τοῦ δὲ πήχεος, ἑξαπαλαίϛου. Herod. lib. ii. c. 149. Ed. Wessel.
* ↑ Hero. in Isagoge.
* ↑ Vox. Στάδιον.
* ↑ Strabon. lib. vii.
* ↑ Stadium deinde habet passus 125, id est pedes 625, quæ octles multiplcats efficit mille passus, sic veniunt quinque milla pedum. Collumel, lib. v. c. 1.
* ↑ Plin. Nat. Hift. lib. ii. cap. 32.
* ↑ Censorin. cap. xiii.
* ↑ Exposit. Formarum.—Goesi Rei Agraria Auctores.
* ↑ Rei Agrariæ Auctores, p. 292.
* ↑ Ibid. p. 321.
* ↑ Nam quum fere confiaret, curriculum stadii, quod eil Pisæ ad Jovis Olympii, Herculem pedibus suis metatum, idque feeisse longum pedes sexcentos: caters quoque stadia. in terra Græcia, ab aliis postea instituta, pedum quidem esse numero sexcentum, sed tamen aliquantulurn breviora: facile intellexerit, modum spatiumque plant: Herculis, ra-
* ↑ Strabon lib. vii.
* ↑ Ταῦτα γὰρ νῦν βεβοημάτιϛαι ϗ̀ σεσημείωται κατὰ ϛαδίους ὀκτὼ διὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐπιμελῶς. Polyb. lib. iii. sect. 39.
* ↑ Vita Ciii Gracchi.
* ↑ Cætera quoque stadia in term Græcia, ab aliis postea instituta, pedum quidem else numeno sexeentum, sed tamen aliquantulum breviora. Aul.Gell. lib. i. cap. 1.
* ↑ Stadium autem inlmc mundi mensura, id potissimum intelligum est, quod Italicum vacant, pedum 625, nam sunt prætera et alia longitudine discrepantia, ut Olympicum, quod est pedum 600, et Pythicumm pedum 100. Censorim cap. xiii.
* ↑ Preface to Busching's Geography.
* ↑ Modus omnis areæ pedali mensura comprehenditur, qui digitorum est sedecim. Pes multiplicatus, in passus, et actus, et climata, et jugera, et stadia, centuriasque; mox etiam in majora spatia procedit. Passus pedes habet quinque, actus minimus, ut ait Marcus Varro, latitudinis pedes quatuor, longitudinis habet pedes centum et viginti. Clima quoquoversus, pedum est sexaginta; actus quadratus, undique finitus, pcdibus centum et viginti. Columell. lib. v. cap. 1.
* ↑ E cubito enim, cum dempti sunt palmi duo, reliuquitur pes quatuor palmorum. Palmus autem habet quatuor digitos, ita esficitur, ut pes habeat sedecim digitos. Vitruv. lib. iii. cap. I.
* ↑ Rei Agrarian Seriptorea, Goefii, p. 320.
* ↑ On the Roman foot.
* ↑ Μόνητα ἢ Ἧρα παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις. Phav. Lexie. Vocem ab æde quocrica Junonem illam appellatam Monetam. Cicero de Divination. The Romans, being in want of money at the time of the war with Pyrrhus, invoked the assitance of Juno; who replied, in answer to their applications, that if the war which they carried on was just, money should not be wanting. The Romans then, after gaining what they whished, paid divine honours to Juno Moneta, or the Adviser; and decreed, that the money should be coined in her temple. Suid. Lexic. Vox Μόνητα.
* ↑ Ex eo etiam videntur civitates Graecorum fecisse, uti quemadrnodum cubitus est sex palmomm, ita in drachmis quoque, eo numero uterentur. Illæ enim æreos signatos, uti asses ex æquo sex, quos oholos appellant; quadrantesque obolorum, quæ alii dichalca, nonnulli trichalca dicunt, pro digitis viginti quatuor constituere. Palmus autem habet quatuor digitos, ita efiicitur, uti habeat pes sexdecim digitos, et totidem asses aereos denarius. Vitruv. lib. iii. cap. I. As the denarius contained sixteen alles, so the foot contained sixteen digitos. And as the assis was divided into twelve uncias, so likewise the foot was divided into twelve uncias; and therefore the dodrans is used by Frontinus, and the semiuncia and Sicilicus by Pliny, for proportion able parts of the Roman foot, as the same are used by other classical authors for proportion able parts of the Roman assis or uncia. Greaves of the Roman foot.
* ↑ The length of the digitus, or sixteenth part of the Roman foot, is, according to Mr. Greaves, .72525 decimal parts of an inch; but as so many figures denote fractional parts too minute to be ascertained by actual measurement, I have used the three first figures only; and the reader will remark, in the table annexed, how nearly the diameter of the beaded circle stamped upon the Roman coin accords with Mr. Greaves's calculation of the extent of the digitus. Some irregularity takes place; but this may be imputed, either to the inaccuracy of the workmen, or perhaps, in some degree, to the inequality of force in the blows of the hammer, with which the ancient money was struck: but the coincidence of this part of the impression with the digitus in the consular coins, and those of the higher empire, renders it more than probable that this measure was intended to be the standard of the dimensions of the die. The coins referred to were selected from a considerable number, for the fairness of the impression, and the clearness with which the beaded circle was marked out. The measurements were taken with a pair of fine hair-compasses, and a brass scale of inches and decimal parts, made for this purpose by Mr. Troughton.
* ↑ 967:1000::31:32.005.
* ↑ 25:24::100.29: 966.9984.
* ↑ Sic vigelima quartz parte major erat pes Græcus et Phi|sterius, Romano, sive monetarli. Salmali Plin. Exercitat.
* ↑ Præterea pes eorum qui Ptolemaic us appellatur habet monetalem pedem et semunciam. Hyginus de Limitibus constituendis.
* ↑ 600 Olympic stadia are reckoned equal to a degree, on Mr. D'Anville's map of Greece.
* ↑ This is the number assigned by Mr. Rennel, with the addition of, ⅛ for winding of the road.
* ↑ Ὁδοῦ δὲ τῆς ἐς Λακεδαίμονα ἐξ Ὀλυμπίας ἐπὶ ἑτέραν ϛήλην τὴν ἐν Λακεδαίμονι μέτρα εἶναι ϛαδίους ἑξηκοντά τε ϗ̀ ἑξακοσίους. Pausan. lib. vi. p. 492. Edit Kühn
* ↑ This is the same with the One in Stuart's Antiquities of Athens.
* ↑ Rochette's map makes it to be 15½ English miles.
* ↑ Hill. of Geography. Strabo acknowledges the same inaccuracy, οὐ γὰρ ὁμολογεῖται περὶ τ̃ διαϛημάτων. Strab. lib. iv. pag. 178.
* ↑ From Heliopolis to Tania is 80 Greek miles by D'Anville's map, or 73¼ miles by Faden's map. 1802.
* ↑ Spelman's Translation of Xenophon's Anabasis, p. 31. It mutt however, I think, be admitted, that the acceleration of the march of Cyrus could not have been very great, otherwise it could scarcely have been continued forso many days successively.
* ↑ {{greek missing}] Arriani Vit Alexandria, lib. i.
* ↑ 143 English miles are equal to 1249.248 Olympic stadia.
* ↑ Alexander, when more at leisure, marched from Gaza to Peluiium in seven days, which is, according to Mr. D'Anville's map, with the allowance of ⅛ for winding of the road, 1237.5 Olympic stadia; or, according to a later map,1252. stadia, which is about 178 stadia each day, or more than 20 English miles.
* ↑ Bello Vandalioo, lib. i. c. 1. Procopius says, a little after, that it was 40 days journey for a foot traveller from Chaloedon to the Phasis. The distance is, according to Arrian, 8505 stadia, or 212.6 stadia nearly for each day.
* ↑ He lived about A. D. 387.
* ↑ Lib. i. cap. 9.
* ↑ Livy reckons 25 Roman miles (equal to 200 stadia, as appears from the corre{{ls}ponding passage in Polybius) to be a day's journey or march for a body of men, on a military expedition. Twenty-five Roman miles were equal to 22.893 Eng. miles. Liv. lib. xxi. feel. 28.
* ↑ Pondus bajulare, usque ad sexaginta libras, et iter facere gradu militari frequentissime cogendi sunt juniores, quibus in arduis expeditionibus necessitas imminet annonam pariter et arma portandi. Nec hoc credatur esse difficile, si usus accesserit, nihil enim est quod non assidua meditatia facillimum reddat. Quam rem antiquos milites factitavisse Virgilio ipso teste cognoscitur. Veget. lib. i. cap. 19. Silvam cædere, portare onera, transilire fossas, natare in mari seu fluminibus, gradu pleno ambulare, vel currere, etiam armatos, cum sarcinis suis frequentissime convenit; ut quotidiani laboris usus in pace, difficilis non videatur in bello. Veget. lib. ii. cap. 23.
* ↑ Nostri exereitus unde nomen habent vides: deinde qui labor, quantusque agminis, ferre plus dimidiati mensis cibaria; ferre, si quid ad usum velint: ferre vallum? Nam scutum, gladium, galeam, in onere nostri milites non plus numerant, quam humerus, laoertos, manus: arma enim membra milites esse ducunt. Ciceron. Tusc. Disp. lib. ii. sect. 15.
* ↑ Once, where the road was narrow, and so deep that the carriages could not pass without difficulty, Cyrus stopped, with those about him of the greatest authority and fortune, and ordered Glus and Pigres to take some of the barbarians belonging to his army, and help the carriages through: but thinking they went slowly about it, he ordered, as in anger, the most considerable Persians who were with him to assist in hastening on the carriages. This afforded an instance of their ready obedience; for, throwing of their purple robes, where each of them happened to Rand, they ran, as if it had been for a prize, down a very steep hill, in their costly'vests and embroidered drawers, some even with chains about their necks, and bracelets round their wrists; and leaping into the dirt with these, they lifted up the carriages, and brought them out sooner than can be imagined. Spelman's Expedition of Cyrus, p. 30, 31.
* ↑ Ptolemy assigns only 500 stadia to a degree, or eight stadia and one-third to a minute, or 60 Roman miles, at 625 feet to the stadium. Geogr. cap. vii. A Greek or Roman mile is about 75 to a degree on the equator; of course 600 stadia would be the proper number.
* ↑ Pausnias, lib i.
* ↑ The words of Pausauias are, ϛαδίων μάλιϛα τεσσάρων ἐϛίν which means, at most or near four stadia. Const. Lexic. et Steph. Thesaur. Vox μάλιϛαι.
* ↑ Sur les Mesures Géographiques des Anciens
* ↑ The Pythian games were celebrated at or Cirrha, in the neighbourhood of Delphi, where, as it appears from Paufanias and there was a horse-course (Ἱππὀδρομος) and a stadium. Πυθοῖ τε γυμνὸν ἐπὶ Στάδιον καταβάντες ἤλεγξαν Ἑλλανίδα ϛρατιὰν ὠκύτα- τι. Pindar. Pyth. Od. xi. vers 73. See also Pausan. Phocic. p. 893. Edit. Kühn.
* ↑ Χεῖρες μὲν γὰρ, εἰ δεοι αὐτὰς τὰ πλέον ὀργυιᾶς διέχοντα ἅμα ποιῆσαι, οὐκ ἂν δύναιντο. Memorab. lib. ii. cap. 3. sect. 19.
* ↑ Ὀργυιὰ τὸ ἑξηπλωμένον μέτρον τῶν χεῖρων, ἢ τὴν ἔκτασιν τῶν χεῖρων. Phavorin.
* ↑ Ὀργυιαὶ τὰ μὲν ἰδίων χειρῶν μέτρα. Suidas
* ↑ Ὀργυιαὶ ἢ τῶν ἀμφοτέρων χειρῶν ἔκτασις. Hesychii. Louic.
* ↑ Εἰ δ' ἄμφω τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνειας, ὡς καὶ τὸ ϛέρνον αὐταῖς συμμετρεῖν, ὐργυιὰ τὸ μέτρον. Jul. Polluc. lib. ii. sect. 158.
* ↑ Nam si a pedibus as summum caput mensum erit, eaque mensura relata suerit ad manus pansas, invenitur eadem latitudo uti altiudo. Vitruv. lib. iii. cap. 1.
* ↑ Pes vero altitudinis corporis senta. Ibid.
* ↑ Lib. iv. Argum. Lib. xii. cap. i. lib. v. cap. i.
* ↑ Theophrast. lib. v. cap. 9.
* ↑ Lib. i. cap. 26.
* ↑   ° ′ Height of the North Pole at Rhodes 36 27 Distance from the Pole to the Equator 90 Declination of Canopus South 52 31 Subtract this sum 178 58 From 180   Remainder 1 2 Add for refraction   24 Apparent altitude of Canopus at Rhodes 1 26 Height of North Pole at Alexandria 31 11 Distance from the Pole to the Equator 90 Declination of Canopus South 52 31 Subtract this sum 173 42 From 180   Remainder 6 18 Add for refraction   8 Apparent altitude of Canopus at Alexandria 6 26 subtract for its apparent height at Rhodes 1 26 Remainder 5   which is the difference between its apparent height at the two places. Five degrees of latitude, at 69.2 5 English miles each, = 346 English miles, == 302.3 Olympic stadia; which should he, according to this calculation, the distance between Alexandria and Rhodes, supposing them to lie under the same meridian. But Alexandria is 1° 51′ to the east of Rhodes, a space in the latitude of Alexandria equal to 110 English miles. Square of 346 119716 Square of 110 12100 Sum 131816 Square root 363.6 5 E. miles. for the distance from Alexandria to Rhodes, = 3177 Olympic stadia. But this distance is too small, owing to the proportionally greater refraction at the altitude of 1° 2′, than at 6° 18′, which amounts to 16′ in altitude, and to about 17′ in distance.   ° ′ The altitude of Canopus at Rhodes 1 2 The altitude of Canopus at at Alexandria 6 18 Difference 5 16 Equal to 364.71 English miles. Square of 364.71 133013.37 Square of 110 12100   Sum 145113.37   Square root 380.97 E.miles. Equal to 3 32.8 Olympic stadia, for the distance from Alexandria to Rhodes. Let us now see how the calculation of Posidonius, respecting the circumference of the earth, would stand, had his observations of the respective altitudes of Canopus at Alexandria and Rhodes been correct, though without allowing for refraction. The apparent difference of altitude at the two places was, as I before observed, 5°. Say then 5°: 360::5000 stadia to 360,000 = 41207.4 English miles, just double to his later calculations, being 1000 stadia to a degree. By his other computations, derived from the gnomonic measurements of Eratolihenes, and which eliminate the distance only at 3750 stadia, it would stand thus—5:360::3750:270,000, or 750 stadia to a degree. Posidonius, it is evident, made two mistakes, betides that of supposing Rhodes and Alexandria to lie, under the same meridian; the first in supposing Canopus to have no altitude at Rhodes, whereas it has a real one of 1° 2′, and an apparent one of 1° 26′; and the second in over-rating the altitude of the flat at Alexandria, which he took to be 7° 30′; whereas it is no more, including the effects of refraction, than 6° 26′. These errors caused him to under-rate the extent contained in 7° 30′, although he over-rated the real distance. The following comes nearer the truth: Distance between Rhodes and Alexandria .... 380.97 Subtract for difference of longitude . .... 16.26 Remains 364.71 E.miles. Say then, 316: 364.71:: 21600: 24935.27 English miles, only five English miles different from modern calculation, and equal nearly to 217840 Olympic stadia, for the circumference of the earth, or 605.11 Olympic stadia to a degree on the equator, very near to what it is computed to be in Table I-V. Cassini observed, that the medium number between the calculations of Eratosthenes and Potidoniusepecting the circumference of the earth, which the former supposed to be 252,000, and the latter to be 180,000 stadia, is 216,000; which number, divided by 360, gives 600 stadia to a degree, and 10 stadia to a minute. The respective latitudes and longitudes of Alexandria and of Rhodes are as below stated.   Latitude Longit. ° ′ ° ′ Alexandria, Roberts Navig. 31 11 30 17 ——— from Denon's Trav. 31 12 29 55 ——— from Walsh 31 13 29 45 Rhodes Robertson's Navig' 36 27 28 26
* ↑ Costard's Astronomy, p. 207.
* ↑ Strabo, lib. ii. p. 125, 126. Ed. Casaub. Paris.
* ↑ Strabo, lib. ii. p. 95.
* ↑ Long's Astronomy, vol. i. p. 128.
* ↑ Eratosthenis Geograph. Fragment, p. 53.
* ↑ Arat. Phaenom. Edit. Oxon. 1672. p. 37. καταϛερίσμων. De stadiis Eratosthenis nibil pro certo assirmare audeo, quale stadium in animo habuerit. Hoc tamcn expectandum esset, aliud Erasothenis si habuerit stadium, a Strabane esset indicatum. Nunc autem Strabo octo stadia mille passibus Romanis adnumerat, cui convenit Plinius, centum viginti quinque passus Romano: Radio tribuens semperque, ubi Erasothenis stadia passuum numero exhibet, hac dimensione utens. Secundum hæe itaque terræ maximuscirculuo esset 31500 milliaria Romana, seu 6300 milliaria nostra (Germanic) geographic. Nam unum milliare geographic um est æquale quinque milliariis Romanis. Error itaque esset 900 mill. geograph. Nam secundum nostrorum dimensiones geographicas ambitus circuli maximi est 5400 mill. geograph. Ex hoc ipso apparere vidctur, eo stadio, quod Olympic um vacant, usum fuisse Erasothenem. Etenim secundum ejus dimeticndi rationem, magnitudinem circuli maximi nimiam æstmare sane debebat. Secundum accuratiorem dimennonem autem non nisi 600 stadia Olympica uni gradui convenient. Stadium Ægyptiacum, quorum quindecim sunt æqualia uni milliario Romano, nullo modo dimensioni Eratosthenes potest accommodari adversus stadium Græcum minus testatur locus Strabonis. Erasothenis Fragm. Edit. a G. C. F. Seidel, Goettingæ, 1789. p. 58. Universum autem hunc circuit um Erasofthenes in omnium quidem literanam subtilitate et in hac utique præter cæzteros solate, quam cunctis probare video ducentorum quinquaginta,
* ↑ In Arenario.
* ↑ Lib. ii. cap. 160.
* ↑ Lib. xxxiv. cap. 16.
* ↑ Causem erigit tripedalem. Theophrait.p. 836.
* ↑ La palette est composée de quatre doigts de la main joints les uns contre les autres, auquels en ajoutant le pouce dans son état naturel, c'est-à-dire un peu écarté d'eux, comme il est toujours quand la main est ouverte, on ala spithame. Vol. xix. p. 522.
* ↑ Τῶν δὲ μέτρων ἐϛὶ μέντοι ϗ̀ δάκτυλος, δοχμὴ δὲ συγκλεισθέντες οἱ τέσσαρες δάκυλοι. jul. Poll. lib.ifi. ssect. 157. Παρὰ τὸ πέλας συνάγειν τὰ οϛὰ, id est, πλησίον ποιεῖν τοὺς δακτύλους. Etymolog.
* ↑ Εἰ δὲ τοὺς δακτύλους ἀποτείνας, ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου πρὸς τ̀ μικρότατον μετρεῖς, σπιθαμὴ τὸ μέτρον. Jul. Polluc. lib. ii. sect. 157. Τὸ μέτρον τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου δακτύλου ἐπὶ τὸν μικρὸν διάϛημα. Hesych. vox σπιθαμή
* ↑ Steph. Thefaur. Graec. Vox σπίζω.
* ↑ Julii Polluc. lib. ii. sect. 157.
* ↑ Lib ii. cap. 3.
* ↑ Hero de Mensuris.
* ↑ Lib. i.
* ↑ Lib. viii. mp. 16.
* ↑ Lib. iii. c. xo.
* ↑ All of gigantic du, Goliah chief. Milton.
* ↑ Illud vero etiam dignum quod admoneatur, Græcos alterum pro altero usurpare. Const. Lexic. Vox παλαιϛή. Sometimes the true or larger spithame was distinguished by the name of σπιθαμὴ βασιλεκή. Thus Hero says, "the ὀργυιὰ, or fathom, contained eight royal spithames, (of 12 digits each,) or six feet and one common spithame." By the latter he undoubtedly meant a measure of four digits, or the palette; which shews that the orguia, which the Greek writers reckon as argument from the size of six feet, was by the Romans counted as fix and ¼ of their feet, which makes the proportion of the Roman foot to the Greek to be as 24 to 25.
* ↑ British Zoology.
* ↑ Vox παλαιϛή.
* ↑ Τῆς τὸ περίμετρον τῆς περιόδου εἰσὶ ϛάδιοι ἑξακόσιοι ϗ̀ τρισχίλιοι. Lib. ii. p. 177. Ed. Wessel.
* ↑ Τὴν μὲν γὰρ περίμετρον αὐτῆς φασιν ὑπάρχειν ϛαδίων τρισκιλίων καὶ ἑξακοσίων. Diodor. lib. i. dam ag p. 61. Ed. Wdiel.
* ↑ Plin. lib. v. cap. 9.
* ↑ 8 × 6 = 48 inches, = 4 feet. Ricciolus observes, that if the foot of Hercules, according to the common computation, was ⅛ of his height, he must have been six Roman feet three inches high, or rather more than six feet one inch and a half, English measure. Apollodorus makes Hercules to be four cubits high, which, according to Mr. Barré, is four feet only. Τετραπηχυαῖον μὲν γὰρ εἴχε τὸ σῶμα. Apollod. lib. ii. cap. 4. sect. 9. If we even add eight inches, (or one foot more, as calculated by Mr. Bsrré,) to make up his height-seven feet, which is said by an ancient writer, cited by Tzetzes, to be his height, it will not bring him to the pitch of what is now accounted an inferior stature. See Notes on Apollodorus, ed. Heyne, vol. iit p. 330
* ↑ Aulus Gellius.
* ↑ Hæc merisura legitima putabatur ad iter unius diei, ut exjuresconsulto clarum est. Sic tam apud Gracos, quam apud veteres Latinos diumum iter viginti millibus passuum definiebatur. Salmas Plin. Exercitat. p. 351, 352, where this subject is largely discussed.
* ↑ The measurements on the chart were made degrees of longitude in different with a due allowance for the difference of the latitudes.