Ancient Greek Units of Measurement - Weight

Weight

Weights are often associated with currency since units of currency involve prescribed amounts of a given metal. Thus for example the English pound has been both a unit of weight and a unit of currency. Greek weights similarly bear a nominal resemblance to Greek currency yet the origin of the Greek standards of weights is often disputed. There were two dominant standards of weight in the eastern Mediterranean - a standard that originated in Euboea and that was subsequently introduced to Attica by Solon, and also a standard that originated in Aegina. The Attic/Euboean standard was supposedly based on the barley corn, of which there were supposedly twelve to one obol. However, weights that have been retrieved by historians and archeologists show considerable variations from theoretical standards. A table of standards derived from theory is as follows:

Unit	Greek name	Equivalent	Attic/Euboic standard	Aeginetic standard
obol or obolus	ὀβολός		0.72g	1.05g
drachma	δραχμή	6 obols	4.31g	6.3g
mina	μνᾶ	100 drachmae	431g	630g
talent	τάλαντον	60 minae	25.86 kg	37.8 kg