Ancient Greek Units of Measurement - Volume

Volume


Neck amphora depicting an athlete
running the hoplitodromos by the Berlin
Painter, ca. 480 BC, Louvre.

Greeks measured volume according to either dry or liquid capacity, suited respectively to measuring grain and wine. A common unit in both measures throughout historic Greece was the cotyle or cotyla whose absolute value varied from one place to another between 210 ml and 330 ml. The basic unit for both solid and liquid measures was the κύαθος (kyathos, plural: kyathoi).

The Attic liquid measures were:

Attic measures of liquid capacity
Unit Greek name Equal to Metric equivalent Description
kochliarion κοχλιάριον 4.5 ml spoon
xēmē χήμη 2 kochliaria 9.1 ml
mustron μύστρον 21⁄2 kochliaria 11.4 ml
konchē κόγχη 5 kochliaria 22.7 ml
kyathos κύαθος 10 kochliaria 45.5 ml
oxybathon ᾿οξυβαθον 11⁄2 kyathoi 68.2 ml
tetarton, hēmikotylē τέταρτον, ἡμικοτύλη 3 kyathoi 136.4 ml
kotylē, trublion or hēmina κοτύλη, τρύβλιον, ἡμίνα 6 kyathoi 272.8 ml
xestēs ξέστης 12 kyathoi 545.5 ml Roman sextarius
chous χοῦς 72 kyathoi 3.27 l
keramion κεράμιον 8 choes 26.2 l Roman amphora
metrētēs μετρητής 12 choes 39.3 l amphora
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851). Metric equivalents are approximate.


and the Attic dry measures of capacity were:

Attic measures of dry capacity
Unit Greek name Equal to Metric equivalent Description
kochliarion κοχλιάριον 4.5 ml
kyathos κύαθος 10 kochliaria 45.5 ml
oxybathon ᾿οξυβαθον 11⁄2 kyathoi 68.2 ml
kotylē or hēmina κοτύλη, ἡμίνα 6 kyathoi 272.8 ml
xestēs ξέστης 12 kyathoi 545.5 ml Roman sextarius
choinix χοῖνιξ 24 kyathoi 1.09 l
hēmiekton ἡμίεκτον 4 choinikes 4.36 l
hecteus ἑκτεύς 8 choinikes 8.73 l a sixth of a medimnos
medimnos μέδιμνος 48 choinikes 52.4 l
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851). Metric equivalents are approximate.



Read more about this topic:  Ancient Greek Units Of Measurement

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