Distance
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What it was
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Other Roman Measurement Equivalent
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English/Metric Equivalent
|
|
Mille passus or milia passuum
|
Roman Mile
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1000 passus
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1618.5 yds or 1480 m
|
|
Actus (pl. actus)
|
Land surveying measurement equivalent to the distance that oxen pulling a plow would be driven before turning
|
120 pedes
|
116' 6" or 35.51 m
|
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Passus ("pace"; pl. passus)
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Closest Roman approximation to our yard or meter measurement
|
5 pedes
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4' 10.25" or apx 1.48 m
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|
Pes (pl. pedes)
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Roman Foot
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12 unciae
|
Apx 11.65" or 29.6 cm during the Late Roman Republic.
Evolved to 11.5" or 29.4 cm during the Empire
|
|
Uncia (pl. unciae)
|
Roman Inch
|
None
|
.958" or 2.43 cm
|
|
Stadium (pl. stadia)
|
Distance measure at sea
|
125 passus
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apx 607' or 185 m
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Area
|
What it was
|
Other Roman Measurement Equivalent
|
English/Metric Equivalent
|
|
Centuria (pl. centuriae)
|
Roman land area measure corresponding to the normal area taken up by a Century of Roman Legionaries
|
100 heredia
|
124.6 acres or 506,000 sq. meters
|
|
Heredium (pl. heredia)
|
Roman land area measure
|
2 Jugera
|
1.246 acres or 5060 sq. meters
|
|
Jugerum (pl. jugera)
|
Roman land area measure; the area a yoke of two oxen could plow in a day
|
28,800 pedes quadrans (sq. Roman feet)
|
5/8 of an acre or 2530 sq. meters
|
|
Actus quadrans ("square driving") or acnua
|
Roman land area measure
|
14,400 pedes quadrans (sq. Roman feet)
|
.312 acres or .126 hectares
|
Volume
|
What it was
|
Other Roman Measurement Equivalent
|
English/Metric Equivalent
|
|
Amphora (pl. amphorae)
|
Liquid volume measure; cubic Roman Foot; derived from the term for the earthenware vessels used to store and transport liquids
|
8 congii
|
apx 6.8 gals or 25.79 liters
|
|
Congius (pl. congii)
|
Liquid volume measure
|
12 heminae
|
apx .85 gals or 3.22 liters
|
|
Sextarius (pl. sextarii)
|
Liquid volume measure
|
2 heminae
|
apx 1.14 pint or .546 liters
|
|
Hemina (pl. heminae)
|
Liquid volume measure
|
|
apx .57 pints or .273 liters
|
|
Modius (pl. modii)
|
Dry volume measure
|
|
apx 1 peck
|
|
Liquid volume measure
|
16 sextarii
|
2.4 gals or 8.732 liters
|
|
Ligula ( pl. ligulae) or cochlear ("spoonful"; pl. cochleara) or cochlea ("snail shell"; pl. cochleae)
|
Smallest unit of liquid measure
|
none
|
.34 fluid ounce or 1.14 centiliters
|
Weight
|
What it was
|
Other Roman Measurement Equivalent
|
English/Metric Equivalent
|
|
Libra ("balance"; pl. librae) or As
|
Roman Pound
|
12 unciae
|
apx 3/4 pound or 335.9g
|
|
Uncia (pl. uncia)
|
Roman Ounce
|
none
|
apx 1 ounce or 28g
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Notes:
- The amphora was the unit used to determine the shipping weight for sea transport
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