Ancient Persian units of measurement

Ancient Persian weights and measures are one of many systems of measurement based on the Mesopotamian system first incorporated by the kings of Susa and Elam and later used by the kings of Persia.

Persian length

1 finger:= *aiwas = 20 mm

1 hand: = five fingers = *pank'a *aiwas = 1 *dva = 100 mm

1 foot: = 3 hands = *trayas *dva = 1 *trayas = 300 mm

1 remen: = 4 hands = *k'atwa:r *dva = 1 *k'atwa:r = 400 mm

1 cubit: = 5 hands = *pank'a = 500 mm

1 great cubit = 6 hands = *(k)swacsh *dva = 1 *(k)swacsh = 600 mm

1 pace: = 5 feet = *pank'a *trayas = 1 *pank'a = 1.5 m

1 cane: = 10 feet = 6 cubits = 5 great cubits = 2 paces = *daca *trayas = 3m

1 chebel: = 40 great cubits = *daca *(k)swacsh = 24 m

1 parasang: = 250 chebel = 6 km = the distance a horse could walk in one hour.

1 mansion: = 1 stathmos: = 4 parsang = 1000 chebel

Persian weight

1 Babylonian talent ≈ 1.43 Attic talents (exact ratio is 7 Babylonian talents = 10 Attic talents). (The talent was a measure of weight used for large amounts of coinage (bullion, bulk coin), rather than an individual coin.)

(derived from a list of revenues of the Great King of Persia in Herodotus III. 90-96 and cf., and A. R. Burn, Persia & the Greeks (New York, 1962), pp. 123-126.)

Persian volume

1 talent = 60 profane mina = 3000 shekels = 25000 g: approximate cube of 1 foot

1 sacred mina: = 60 shekles = 600 g: approximate cube of 1 hand

1 profane mina: = 50 shekels = 500 g: approximate cube of 3 fingers

1 shekel: = 8.3 g

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