SECTION II.

CONCERNING THE ITINERARY STADE OF THE GREEKS, FROM THE DATE OF HERODOTUS.

The Grecian Stade often confounded with the Roman-appears to have varied, only with the judgment of the individuals who computed the distances-Examples cited from Herodotus, Pausanias, Xenophon, Eratosthenes, Strabo, Polybius, Pliny, and Arrian-receives confirmation from a comparison with the mean marches of armies-Paces, the elementary part of itinerary measures; and the Stade probably formed originally, of a hundred of these.

THOSE who have entered into the question concerning the length of the Grecian Stade, have expressed the difficulties they have experienced in attempting to reconcile the different standards that present themselves, under one and the same denomination of STADE. In common acceptation we find a stade commensurate to a furlong; which idea is applied to all the stades of antiquity, whether Grecian or Roman, without considering whether the same standard, as well as denomination, was indifferently used by both nations.

This error may probably be traced to the Roman authors, who, in all cases where they have made use of Grecian materials in geography, have reckoned

8 stades to a Roman mile; an error, however, natural enough, as it appears that they had a stade of their own, of that standard, and might suppose that the Grecian itinerary stade was of the same kind: for it has not been found an easy task to appreciate the standards of foreign itinerary measures at any rate; and the authors in question, who wrote from books, and not from actual observation of the standards themselves, were the least likely of any to appreciate them rightly.

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It is foreign to our purpose to enter into an inquiry concerning any other stade, than the one applied to itinerary purposes by the Greeks: and we conceive that this measure did not, in effect, vary its standard, but that the different results arising from the comparison of the numbers of stades, with the ground on which they were computed, are to be ascribed to the difference of judgment amongst the individuals who made the computations; (we say computations, because it may be supposed that the distances were, in very few instances, measured :) for the greatest difference that arises amongst the several authors, taking the mean of the examples furnished by each respectively, is about a fourteenth part, and that in one instance alone; but the more common difference is only a twenty-fourth part.

Some have endeavoured to account for these differences, from the different ages in which the measures were employed: but this does not hold, for some of the measures reported by Herodotus, agree with those reported by Strabo several centuries afterwards; whilst those of the same age frequently

differ. Many of the numbers are, indeed, out of reason; and others absurd: but, in such cases, one ought rather to suppose a corruption of the text, than look for a diversity of standards, in the same denomination of itinerary measure; and in so small a state as Greece.

It is certain that Herodotus describes the stade as a measure of 600 Grecian feet, which require about

It must however be admitted, that in the Periplus of Scylax, which was written before the time of our author, the numbers appear greater, than in later authors; but whether this arose from ignorance of the true distances, or from an alteration of standard, may perhaps be disputed. We should rather believe the former cause, otherwise an alteration of must have taken place, between the time of Scylax, and that of Strabo. For instance, the Island of Crete, is said by Scylax *, to be 2,500 stades in length; but by Sosicrates, 2,300+; and by Strabo, 2,000 f. It is somewhat less than 150 geographical miles, (or those of 60 to a degree) or about 1,800 of Strabo's scale, (700 to a degree.) Possibly the indentations of the coast, may make up the 2,000. Sicily is also said by Scylax to be 2,500 stadia on each side §. Its length is indeed only about ten miles greater than Crete, which appears at first sight to countenance the idea of a shorter stade; but when it is recollected that the east side of Sicily is shorter than the other two, although the three sides are said by Scylax to be equal, it must be allowed that no dependance can be placed on the statement of numbers. At all events, it is to be recollected that our inquiry has no reference to any date anterior to Herodotus.

6 Dr. Arbuthnot reckons the Grecian foot at 12,0875 of our inches.

Scylax, in Hudson's Min. Geog. Vol. i. pages 18 and 56.

+ Strabo, p. 474.

↑ Ib.

p. 106.

§ Scylax, p. 4.

600 to make a degree; but this appears to be the Olympic stade, which is valued by M. D'Anville at 94 toises. There is, however, no testimony concerning the application of this stade to itinerary purposes on the contrary, every portion of distance, as well throughout Herodotus's history, as of the writings of other Greeks, appears, on a reference to the ground itself, to be measured by a stade of a much shorter standard; most of them rising above that of Xenophon, which is of 750 to a degree, but falling below that of Strabo, which is of 700. But although the Olympic stade was not used by Herodotus, it appears very clearly that he made use of more than one standard of itinerary stade; for the result of his numbers gives a much longer standard in Greece, Asia Minor, and Persia, than in Egypt and the Euxine sea. Whether this difference was the effect of design, or of misconception, cannot with certainty be known; but it was probably from the latter; as his silence might lead us to suppose that he had no more than one kind of stade in contemplation. It is important to observe, that the former agrees nearest with those of Xenophon, Eratosthenes, and Strabo, and in particular with that resulting from the calculation on the mean marches of armies; than which, perhaps, nothing can be more to the purpose, in the matter of approximation; since the mean motion of armies forms a kind of natural and universal

Mes. Itin. page 70. In Euterpe, c. 149, Herodotus says that a stade is composed of 100 orgyia, each of six feet. Again, in Melpomene, c. 41, 100,000 orgyia are said to be equal to 1,000 stades.

scale, in all places, and at all times; of which more in the sequel.

One must surely conclude that Herodotus was well informed respecting the itinerary measures of his country; and therefore an example of it, given on one of the most celebrated communications in Greece, namely, that between Athens and Pisa (Olympia) ought, if the numbers are not corrupted, to be taken as decisive. This gives a ratio of 755 stades to a degree. But, on the other hand, Pausanias, gives the measure of the road between Sparta and Pisa, on which there arises a ratio of 707. It will be found in the sequel, that the former result agrees very nearly with the stade of Xenophon, the latter with that of Strabo.

* Herodotus says, Euterpe, c. 7, "The distance betwixt Heliopolis (in Egypt) and the sea, is nearly the same, as from the altar of the twelve Deities, at Athens, to the shrine of Jupiter Olympus at Pisa. The distance from Pisa to Athens wants precisely fifteen stadia of 1,500, which is the exact number of stadia between Heliopolis and the sea."

The direct distance on D'Anville's Map of Greece is 105 G. miles. If be added for winding, the road distance will be 118, which gives 755 to a degree.

N.B. It is worthy of remark, that notwithstanding this positive statement, and comparison, the distance betwixt Heliopolis and the sea is no more than 86 G. miles direct; as will appear in the sequel.

D'Anville, Mes. Itin. p. 76, quotes Pausanias, Eliac. II. who says, that the distance betwixt a certain column in Olympia, and another in Sparta, is 660 stades. On the map, this distance is 50 G. miles, or 56 by the road, giving a rate of 707 to a degree. The Theodosian table has 61 MP. only; equal to about 49 G. miles by the road.