Page:Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea Translated.djvu/175

174 Mr. Barré again aumes firt, that there was the ame difference between the and the, as there was between the cubit and the foot; namely, that they were each to the other as three to two; and again, that the  was equal to four Roman digits only, or a quarter of a foot. Now as he uppoes the to have been equal to the palmus, which was four Roman digits alo, it follows that four pithames, which, according to his computation, are equal to ix paletes, would be equal to the Greek cubit; and as each pithame was equal to the palmus, it followed that the Greek cubit would be equal to the Roman foot. But the length he aigns to the pithame can by no means be admitted. The and the  were only different names for the ame thing. The word didoron, we are told by Vitruvius, implied half a foot; and we learn from Hero , that the was the third part of the.

This is agreeable to what might be expected from the derivation of the terms. The breadth of the four fingers of a man's hand of moderate ize is about three inches, or four Roman digits; and the extent of the fingers when it tretched out, as above decribed, is nearly nine inches, or twelve Roman digits, agreeable to the proportion above laid down.

It appears alo, that, where accuracy of length is to be pecified, the Romana tranlated the Greek word by the Latin word cubitus. Thus Herodotus, decribing the cell wherein the body of Oreites was depoited, fays, that both that and the body were even