Distance Measurements
Roman
Distance Measurements |
Unit |
Roman
Equivelant |
Description |
Modern |
Mille (mille passus) |
1000 passus |
Roman mile. With 5 Roman feet in a passus, a Roman mile was 5,000 ft. Slightly shorter than a modern mile. |
4,854 modern ft. or 1,480 meters. |
Stadium (stadia) |
125 passus |
Used often as a measurement by
sea. 125 passus = 625 Roman ft. |
607 ft. or 185 meters |
Actus |
120 pedes |
Used for land surveying and
roughly translated as how far oxen would drive a plough before being turned. Equal to 120 Roman feet. |
116.5 ft. or 35.5 meters |
Passus |
1/1000 mille or 2 gradus |
Roughly the 'pace' step of
a single legionary. 5 Roman ft. |
4.85 ft. or 1.48 meters |
Gradus (gradii) |
2 1/2 pedes |
1/2 passus (2.5 Roman ft.) |
2.43 ft. or .74 meters |
Pes (pedes) |
12 unciae |
Roman foot. |
11.65 inches or 29.6 cm |
Uncia (unciae) |
Base Unit |
Roman inch. |
0.97 inches or 24.6 mm |
|
|
Did you know? The Groma (resembling a surveyor's cross) was the favored aligning instrument of the Romans
________________________________
If you'd like to stay up to date on
what's happening in the world of Roman
Archaeology, the on going development of UNRV Roman History, specials or interesting discussions in our Forum, sign up today!
|
|