NB: UNCENSORED. Many of the equivalencies below are uncertain!

Weights

1 mna ≠ 100 drachmas

1 talent ≠ 6000 drachmas

Attic talent = 36 kilograms

Nero's talent = 32.3 kilograms = 100 Roman pounds

1 mna = 1 talent divided by 60

1 mna = 160 drachmas (previously 180 and 190)

1 Roman pound = 96 drachmas (24 staters)

NB: Ptolemaic and early Roman weights are heavier!

Measures

* surface measures

aroura, first series1/21/41/81/161/321/641/1281/2561/5121/1024 etc.

    second series      1/3

aroura = "half a soccer field" (100 x 100 pecheis)

NB: pechus oikopedikos = 1/100 aroura

1.5 aroura = 1 acre or modern Egyptian feddan

2/3 acre or feddan = 1 aroura

* dry measures

artaba, first series      1/3    1/6 (OIPE)    1/12    1/24    1/48    1/96

    second series1/21/4 1/8

choinix = 1 liter (dry wheat)

artaba of 40 choinikes = 40 liter = 30 kilograms

modern Egyptian ardeb = 5 artabas

* wet measures

1 chous = 12 kotylai

1 Attic metretes = 12 chous

NB: bigger choes also existed (6 to a - smaller - metretes)

sextarius (xestes) = 0.5 liter (2 "small" kotulai)

NB: 4-kotylai sextarii also existed

N. Kruit and K.A. Worp, Geographical jar names: towards a multi-disciplinary approach, APF 46 (2000), 65-146

*corvée measures

1 naubion = 1.34 meter cubed, but better visualized as 2 x 2 x 2 large cubits (55.125 cm)

Money

1 deben = 10 kites

2 kites = 1 stater (Egyptian tetradrachma)

1 stater = 4 drachmas

1 drachma = 6 obols

1 obol = 8 chalkoi

1 mina = 100 drachmas (accounting unit)

1 talent = 6000 drachmas (accounting unit)

in Roman period, 28 or 29 obols to a tetradrachma ("7-obol drachma"), if taxes are paid in bronze

aureus = 100 drachmas (or a bit more, gold being overvalued)

R. Hazzard various

G. Le Rider and H. Cadell, Prix et numéraire (Brussels)

T. Reekmans, Monetary history and the dating of Ptolemaic papyri, SH 5 (1948), 15-43

W. Clarysse and E. Lanciers, AS 19 (1989)

K. Maresch, Bronze und Silber (Opladen)

A.C. Johnson, Roman Egypt (Baltimore 1936)

D. Rathbone, in Prix et formation des prix (Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges 1997)

R.S. Bagnall, Currency and Inflation (1985) with addenda in P.Kell. 4

K. Maresch, Nomisma (Opladen)

F. Morelli, Olio e retribuzioni (Firenze 1996)

Send your comments to ancient.history@classics.uc.edu.

© Peter van Minnen 2007