ARU´RA
ARU´RA (
ἄρουρα), a
Greek measure of surface, which would appear, from its name, to have been
originally the chief land-measure.
[p. 1.198]
Herodotus (
2.163) mentions a measure of the same
name, which is almost certainly identical. He says that it is a hundred
Egyptian cubits in every direction. Now the Egyptian cubit contained nearly
17 3/4 inches (Hussey,
Ancient Weights, &c. p. 237);
therefore the square of 100 x 17 3/4 inches, i. e. nearly 148 feet, gives
approximately the number of square feet (English) in the arura, viz. 21,904.
(Wurm,
de Pond. &c. p. 94.) The different estimate of
Suidas, making it the fourth part of the
πλέθρον or 2500 square Greek feet, is erroneous (Hultsch,
Metrol. p. 38, n. 4; p. 284).
[
P.S] [
W.W]
