JTC1/SC2/WG2 N2612-2
L2/03-158
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 2/WG 2
PROPOSAL SUMMARY FORM TO ACCOMPANY SUBMISSIONSFOR ADDITIONS TO THE REPERTOIRE OF ISO/IEC 106461
Please fill all the sections A, B and C below.
(Please read Principles and Procedures Document for guidelines and details before filling this form.)
See http://www.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/summaryform.html for latest Form.
See http://www.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/principles.html for latest Principles and Procedures document.
See http://www.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/roadmaps.html for latest roadmaps.

A. Administrative

Proposal to encode Greek Numerical characters in the UCS
1. Title:
2. Requester's name: Thesaurus Linguae Graecae Project (University of California, Irvine) and UTC
3. Requester type (Member body/Liaison/Individual contribution):
Expert Contribution
4. Submission date:2003-06-11
5. Requester's reference (if applicable):
6. This is a complete proposal:
B. Technical - General
1. (Choose one of the following:)
a. This proposal is for a new script (set of characters):______________
Proposed name of script:.
b. The proposal is for addition of character(s) to an existing block:Yes
Name of the existing block: Ancient Greek Numerical Characters (10175-10189)
2. Number of characters in proposal:
21
3. Proposed category (see section II, Character Categories):
Category C
4. Proposed Level of Implementation (1, 2 or 3) (see clause 14, ISO/IEC 10646-1: 2000):
Level 1Is a rationale provided for the choice?
NoIf Yes, reference:
5. Is a repertoire including character names provided?
Yesa. If YES, are the names in accordance with the 'character naming guidelines
in Annex L of ISO/IEC 10646-1: 2000?
Yes
b. Are the character shapes attached in a legible form suitable for review?
Yes
6. Who will provide the appropriate computerized font (ordered preference: True Type, or PostScript format) for
publishing the standard?
David Perry and TLG Project (True Type)If available now, identify source(s) for the font (include address, e-mail, ftp-site, etc.) and indicate the tools
used:
TLG Project, mcpantel@uci.edu
a. Are references (to other character sets, dictionaries, descriptive texts etc.) provided? Yes
b. Are published examples of use (such as samples from newspapers, magazines, or other sources)of proposed characters attached?
Yes
8. Special encoding issues:
Does the proposal address other aspects of character data processing (if applicable) such as input,presentation, sorting, searching, indexing, transliteration etc. (if yes please enclose information)? No
9. Additional Information:
The property for these characters is So
Submitters are invited to provide any additional information about Properties of the proposed Character(s) or Script thatwill assist in correct understanding of and correct linguistic processing of the proposed character(s) or script. Examples
of such properties are: Casing information, Numeric information, Currency information, Display behaviour informationsuch as line breaks, widths etc., Combining behaviour, Spacing behaviour, Directional behaviour, Default Collation
behaviour, relevance in Mark Up contexts, Compatibility equivalence and other Unicode normalization relatedinformation. See the Unicode standard at http://www.unicode.org for such information on other scripts. Also see
http://www.unicode.org/Public/UNIDATA/UnicodeCharacterDatabase.html and associated Unicode Technical Reports
for information needed for consideration by the Unicode Technical Committee for inclusion in the Unicode Standard.

1Form number: N2352-F (Original 1994-10-14; Revised 1995-01, 1995-04, 1996-04, 1996-08, 1999-03, 2001-05, 2001-09)

C. Technical - Justification
1. Has this proposal for addition of character(s) been submitted before?
NoIf YES explain _________________________________________________________________________
2. Has contact been made to members of the user community (for example: National Body, user groups of the script orcharacters, other experts, etc.)?
Yes
If YES, with whom?

The TLG has been in contact with experts in the field of Classics. Earlier versions of this
proposal have been posted online and received comments by members of the profession.
Proposal was reviewed by Dr. John Mansfield, Cornell University, Professor Jeffrey
Rusten, Cornell University, Professor Roger Bagnall, Columbia University.
If YES, available relevant documents: ________________________________________________
3. Information on the user community for the proposed characters (for example: size, demographics,
information technology use, or publishing use) is included?
Scholarly community

4. The context of use for the proposed characters (type of use; common or rare): Use varies
Reference:
See proposal
5. Are the proposed characters in current use by the user community?
Characters are present primarily in ancient papyri and their modern editions. Used
extensively by scholars of Greek.
Reference:
See proposal
6. After giving due considerations to the principles in Principles and Procedures document (a WG 2 standingdocument) must the proposed characters be entirely in the BMP?
No
If YES, is a rationale provided?
If YES, reference:
7. Should the proposed characters be kept together in a contiguous range (rather than being scattered)? Yes
8. Can any of the proposed characters be considered a presentation form of an existing
character or character sequence?
No
If YES, is a rationale for its inclusion provided?
______________
If YES, reference: ________________________________________________________
9. Can any of the proposed characters be encoded using a composed character sequence of either
existing characters or other proposed characters?
No
If YES, is a rationale for its inclusion provided?
______________
If YES, reference:______________
10. Can any of the proposed character(s) be considered to be similar (in appearanceor function) to an existing character?
Yes

A few glyph variants are similar to existing characters.
11. Does the proposal include use of combining characters and/or use of composite sequences(see clauses 4.12 and 4.14 in ISO/IEC 10646-1: 2000)?
NoIf YES, is a rationale for such use provided?
If YES, reference: _______________________________________________________Is a list of composite sequences and their corresponding glyph images (graphic symbols)
provided?
______________
If YES, reference: _______________________________________________________
12. Does the proposal contain characters with any special properties such as
control function or similar semantics?
NoIf YES, describe in detail (include attachment if necessary)______________
13. Does the proposal contain any Ideographic compatibility character(s)?
No
If YES, is the equivalent corresponding unified ideographic character(s) identified? ____________
If YES, reference: ________________________________________________________

Introduction
Ancient Greeks used primarily alphabetic characters to represent numbers. A number of
non-alphabetic symbols were also used and those are not currently present in the UnicodeStandard. This proposal contains 21 Greek Numerical (non-alphabetic) characters. A
transcribed papyrus which utilizes many of the characters proposed is appended to theend of this document.
These numerical characters appear in a large number of ancient papyri. They are thestandard symbols used for the representation of numbers, fractions, weights and measuresand have consistently been used in modern editions of Greek papyri as well as various
publications related to the study and interpretation of ancient documents. The proposedcharacters are already present in existing non-Unicode Greek fonts and used consistentlyby the scholarly community.
The property for all characters is “Symbol, other” (So).

Standard Ancient Greek Numerical Symbols
Fractions
NameUnicode

Glyph Variants, Notes, and Examples
Versions without Unicode codepoints:

Glyph variants with Unicode codepoints:

Greek Symbol One Half∠

2220 (Sm)∟221F (Sm)

Example: Kenyon 2.10

Greek Symbol Two-Thirds

Example: Hultsch 1.83

Greek Symbol ThreeQuarters

Lower bulb descends slightly below line.
Example: Kenyon 1.143

Weights, Measures and Money: Standard Greek Measure of Time
Descends slightly below line.
May also be used as number signifier, half (but not in texts
with Greek Half Symbol) or Drachma (but not in texts withGreek Drachma Symbol). Very commonly appears in texts
with Greek Half Symbol and Greek Drachma Symbol,
therefore not a glyph variant.
Example: Kenyon 2.122

Greek Symbol Year

Weights, Measures and Money: Standard Greek Weights and Money2
The ancient Greeks had two systems of measurement: one for wet, and one for dry products. The kotyle,which is the basic measure in both wet and dry systems, is made up of six kyathoi or four oxybapha. Itsvalue is different depending on local variations, but it is roughly 1/4l.
Glyph variants: and .
22BC and 2305 are similar to, however these twocharacters have mathematical properties.1 Talent is c.25.75kg
and 6,000 Drachmas.
Example: Bilabel 2307

Greek Symbol Talent

2

Greek Symbol Large
StaterΣ

03A3

1 Large Stater is c. 860g and 200 Drachmas

Greek Symbol Mna--

No standard Character.
1 Mna is c. 430g and 100 Drachmas.

Greek Symbol SmallStater

Σ

03A3

1 Small Stater is c. 8.6g and 2 DrachmasAncient Greeks used the same terminology for weights and currency. Many local variations existed butthe Attic-Euboic system appears to have been dominant and this is the system presented in the table below.

Glyph variants:

Greek Symbol Drachma⋖⋖

22D6 (Sm)

<003C

Λ̥

039B + 0325

1 Drachma is c.4.3g. Not the same as the currency symbol.
Example: Heiberg 2.29
Glyph variants:

Greek Symbol One Obol∽~007E∽\223D (Sm) (but needs to match 007E)
002F
2013

–1 Obol is c. 0.7g and one sixth of a Drachma.
Example: Hultsch 1.220 and Kenyon 1974: 129
Glyph variants:≈==Greek Symbol Two Obols

2248 (Sm)003D

Example: Hultsch 1.226
Glyph variants:(Descends slightly below line.)

Greek Symbol ThreeObols

Γ

0393

ʃ0283

T03A4

∿
223F (Sm)
Example: Kenyon 1.142, Bilabel 1923:2306, 2314
Descends slightly below line.

Greek Symbol Four Obols

Example: Kenyon 1.142
Descends slightly below line.

Greek Symbol Five Obols

Example: Kenyon 1.142

Weights, Measures and Money: Standard Greek Measures of Capacity
Liquid measure.
1 Metretes is c. 35l and 144 liquid Kotyles.
Example: Kenyon 1.153

Greek Symbol Metretes
03C7

Greek Symbol Chousχο<superscript>

Greek Symbol Hemichous--Greek Symbol Medimnos--

Greek Symbol Hekteus--

Greek Symbol Choinix--

Greek Symbol Kotyle

o03BF

See note

Liquid measure.
1 Chous is c.3l and 12 liquid Kotyles.
Liquid measure. No standard Character.
1 Hemichous is c.1.5l and 12 liquid Kotyles.
Dry measure. No standard Character.
1 Medimnos is c. 180l and 768 dry Kotyles.
Dry measure. No standard Character.
1 Hekteus is c. 30l and 128 dry Kotyles.
Dry measure. No standard Character.
1 Choinix is c. 1l and 4 dry Kotyles
Formed with Greek Kyathos Base Symbol + <superscript>
03BF
Both a liquid and a dry measure.

1 Kotyle is c. 250ml.

Greek Symbol Oxybaphon
Greek Symbol Kyathos
Base--

Both a liquid and a dry measure. No standard Character.
1 Oxybaphon is c. 60ml and ¼ Kotyle.
039A + 0337
Often written with <superscript> 03C5 after it.
Dry measure.
1 Kyathos is c. 40ml and 1/6 Kotyle.
Example: Hultsch 1.219

Weights, Measures and Money: Greek Characters for Roman Weights and Measures
Three Greek characters were used to represent weights (and occasionally measures) in the Roman system.
The Roman system is based on the Libra or As, of 327.45g. This is divided into 12 Unciae. The Greek
translations for these terms are Litra for Libra, and Ounkia3 for Uncia.
Greek Symbol Litra
Greek Symbol Ounkia

Example: Raeder 1.152
Example: Hultsch 1.220
Versions without Unicode codepoints:
All glyph variants of each other.
Preferred form is.

Greek Symbol Xestes

Versions with Unicode codepoints:
03BE + 0338
2241 (Sm)
Problematic version:
Technically an abbreviation.
Example: Hultsch 1.228

3Also Onkia. See LSJ 1268

Weights, Measures and Money: Greek Characters for non-Graeco-Roman Measures
All glyph variants of each other.
.
Preferred form is(Idiosyncratic)

Greek Symbol Artabe

Versions without Unicode codepoints:

Greek Symbol Aroura

<003C

÷

00F7

Example: Kenyon 2.142
Descends slightly below line.
Example: Kenyon 1.143

Weights, Measures and Money: Ancient Greek Medical Measures
Greek Symbol Gramma

Example: Hultsch.1.220

Greek Symbol Tryblion
BaseDescends slightly below line.
Example: Hultsch.1.221

Bibliography
Dittenberger, W., Inscriptiones Graecae 7 (Berlin, 1892)
Fraenkel, M., Inscriptiones Graecae 4 (Berlin 1873)
Gardthausen, V., Griechische Palaeographie. 2 vols. (Lepizig, 1913)
Heath, T. & Toomer, G.J., “Numbers, Greek” in OCD3 (Oxford, 1996) 1052-3
Heath, T., A History of Greek Mathematics 2 vols. (Oxford, 1921)
Hultsch, F., Metrologocorum scriptorum reliquae (Stuttgart, 1971)
Jeffery, L.H., The Local Scripts of Archaic Greece (Oxford, 1961)
Larfeld, W., Handbuch der griechischen Epigraphik 2.2. Die attischen Inschriften(Leipzig, 1902)
Oikonomides, A. N. (ed), Abbreviations in Greek Inscriptions: Papyri, Manuscripts andEarly Printed Books (Chicago, 1974)
Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) CD-ROM 7.0 (Packard Humanities Institute, 1996)
Pririe, J.W., Jeffery, L.H. & Johnston, A.W., “Alphabet, Greek” in OCD3 (1996) 66
Pryce, F.N., Lang, M.L. & Vickers, M. “Measures” in OCD3 (1996) 942-3
Threatte, L., The Grammar of Attic Inscriptions 2 vols. (Berlin & New York, 1980 &1996)

TABLE 10175: ANCIENT GREEK NUMERICAL
1017

0123456789AB⋖C∽DEF-8-1018

TABLE xx00-1F: ANCIENT GREEK NUMERICALhexName

10175
10176
10177
10178
10179
1017A
1017B
1017C
1017D
1017E
1017F
10180
10181
10182
10183
10184
10185
10186
10187
10188
10189

GREEK SYMBOL HALF TYPE ONEGREEK SYMBOL HALF TYPE TWOGREEK SYMBOL TWO-THIRDSGREEK SYMBOL THREE-QUARTERS
GREEK SYMBOL YEAR
GREEK SYMBOL TALENTGREEK SYMBOL DRACHMAGREEK SYMBOL OBOLGREEK SYMBOL TWO OBOLSGREEK SYMBOL THREE OBOLSGREEK SYMBOL FOUR OBOLSGREEK SYMBOL FIVE OBOLSGREEK SYMBOL METRETESGREEK SYMBOL KYATHOS BASE
GREEK SYMBOL LITRAGREEK SYMBOL OUNKIAGREEK SYMBOL XESTESGREEK SYMBOL ARTABE
GREEK SYMBOL AROURAGREEK SYMBOL GRAMMAGREEK SYMBOL TRYBLION BASE-9-Appendix
Examples of standard ancient Greek numerical symbols.
Example 1.4

Greek 3 Obol
SymbolGreek Aroura
SymbolGreek Half Symbol(glyph variant)Greek 4 Obol
SymbolGreek 5 Obol
SymbolExample 2.5

DrachmaGramma4Kenyon, F.G., Greek Papyri in the British Museum I (London, 1893) 143. Characters found in this image but not in
the table below are glyph variants of existing Greek letters or characters proposed below.
5
Hultsch, F., Metrologocorum scriptorum reliquae (Stuttgart, 1971) 255- 10 -Example 3.6
Year
SymbolMetretes
SymbolArtabeSymbolExample 4.7

Kyathos Base
Sign

Greek Gramma
Sign

6Kenyon, F.G., Greek Papyri in the British Museum I (London, 1893) 98

7

Hultsch, F., Metrologocorum scriptorum reliquae (Stuttgart, 1971) 227- 11 -