Proportions and Metrology

of the Parthenon

The work is based on the following hypothesis:

I.                     Portioning of the buildings in Ancient Greece was performed by means 

ааааааааааааof whole numbers as module relations connected with a system of the

ааааааааааа measures.

II.                   During the portioning of the Parthenon following measures were 

ааааааааааааused:

ааааааааааааааааааааааааа the foot -- 0.2606 meters (1/2 of roual cubit);

ааааааааааааааааааааааааа the cubit -- 0.3909 m (3/2 feet or 3/4 of roual cubit);

ааааааааа General System of the Measures (reconstruction):

The Motivations

A.         Metrological:

1.               Eratosthenes of Cyrene (234-196 BC) has defined the circumference

аааа of ааthe Earth as equal to 252000 stadias. Hence, the length of a stadia

ааа is considered equal to approximately 156-157 meters. History of

аа Herodotusа (484-426 BC) reports that a stadia is 600 feet.

ааааааааааааааааа Connecting these two facts, the length of the foot must be

аааааааааааааааааа approximately а0,26 Ц 0,265 meters.

ааааааа 

ааааааа 2. The inscription, which was described by R.Valloisа (J.J.Coulton. Towards

аааааааааааааааа understanding greek temple design. p.86), reports that Prytaneion on the

аааааааааааааааа island of Delos (3 centuries BC) had a length of 47 orgias. The actual

ааааааааааааааа аlength of the building is 72.47 meters, that makes the length of the orgia

аааааааааааа аequal to 1.542 meters. According to Vitruvius, an orgia is 6 feet. Thence, the 

ааааааааааааааfoot is equal to 0.258 meters.

ааааааа 3. During the excavations of Lagash city (southern Babilonia) was а

ааааааааааааааааfound the statuette of the ruler Gudea in the role of an architect. On the 

аааааааааааааааknees of the statue is graven an architectТs straightedge. Its length is 0.263 

ааааааааааааааmeters. It is divided into 16 equal parts of 0.0164 meters.

ааааааа 4. At the Museum of Fine Arts in Munich is kept two proportional 

ааааааааааааааааcompasses (dividers). One of them has leg lengths equal to 0.146m and

ааааааааааааааа 0.073 meters respectively, that can be interpreted as 1/2 and 1/4 of a а

аааааааааааааааroman foot (0.292m.). The length of the legs of the other compass are

ааааааааааааа а0.134 m. and 0.067 mа that in comparison gives us the size of the foot is 

аааааааааааааааequal to o.268 m.

ааааааа 5. As a result of the studies of the historian-metrologist L.V.Firsov, 

аааааааааааааааthe size of the Ancient (Greece) stadia is 156 meters. Firsov has checked 

ааааааааааааааа85 referrals to distances between villages (population centers) in аа

ааааааааааааааУGeographyФ of аStrabon and states that the measurements in stadia were 

аааааааааааааааequal to 156 meters.

B. Anthropometrical:

2.               In the 70Тs broad statistical anthropometrical measurements were 

ааааааааааааааааааааorganized in the territory of the former USSR. The average length of 

аааааааааааааааааааthe ааfoot of the men from different regions is presented in the table:

Averaged length of the foot of

 the male population in cm

ааааааааа It seem unlikely that the length of ancient Greek man-s foot was longer thet the 

аааааааааaverage Soviet man-s foot. 

NEAREST ANALOGY

а

Lorensen E. Technological studies in ancient metrology. Doctorsovn. Copenhagen, 1966.

In this thesis, the foot equals half of roual cubit. However, he gave us a determined foot-size

аof 0,268 m (the size he had shown as the distances between the midpoints of the external

columns,was excepted to equal 16 of these feet). And size of roual cubit, therefore, is 0,536 m,

аan unconvincind measurement. In metrology the royal cubit varied from 0,52 to 0,525m. Also,

Lorensen found a measure of 100 feet in the naos of the Parthenon. If the distance between

midpoints of columns of the naos equaled 10 feet, he defined the size of 100 feet as being

between abstract points of the plan of the Parthenon. One of these points is in the wall of the

cella, another is connected to the midpoints of the external columns (see plate 30). In addition,

аif the foot-size is 0,268, the distance between columns of naos must be 2,68, which is 8 sm off.

аThis error is very big for exact evidence of use these measurements.

C.         architectyral and archaeologycal аMotivation s

See plates 1-32