CU´BITUS
CU´BITUS (
πῆχυς), a
measure of length used by the Greeks, Romans, and other nations, was
originally the length of the human arm from the elbow to the wrist, or to
the tip of the middle finger; the latter was its signification among the
Greeks and Romans. It was equal to a foot and a half; and therefore the
Roman cubit was a little less, and the Greek cubit a little more, than a
foot and a half English; the respective lengths of the foot being, in
millimetres, Greek 308.3, English 304.7, Roman 295.7. The Greek cubit was
millimetres 462.4, the Roman 443.6. The cubit was divided by the Greeks into
2 spans (
σπιθαμαί), 6 hand-breadths
(
παλαισταί), and 24 finger-breadths
(
δάκτυλοι), and by the Romans into 1
1/2 feet, 6 breadths (
palmi), and 24
thumb-breadths (
pollices). (Hultsch,
Metrol. pp. 29, 62, and Tables.) Respecting the Persian
and other cubits, ib. p. 41 ff.
[
P.S] [
W.W]
