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[Philip Davies]

“One second of arc of the meridian degree is 100 Greek feet.”
This quotation is from “All done with mirrors” by John Neal

[Frank S]

“One second of arc of the meridian degree is 100 Greek feet.”
This quotation is from “All done with mirrors” by John Neal

Yes, but the Greek mathematicians had small feet, LOL

[Philip Davies]

Yes, but the Greek mathematicians had small feet, LOL

The Greek foot is 12 English inches. Photo to follow. I’m watching tv.

[mklotz]

“One second of arc of the meridian degree is 100 Greek feet.”
This quotation is from “All done with mirrors” by John Neal

Whose "pous" (Greek for foot) ? As this article...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pous

indicates there were many versions, all of different lengths (reminiscent of the cubit confusion).

I love this quote from the article...

"Stecchini and others propose the Greek podes are different sizes because they are divided into different numbers of different sized daktylos to facilitate different calculations."

It's hard to construct a useful measurement system when you can adjust the units to fit the work.

[Toolmaker51]

It's hard to construct a useful measurement system when you can adjust the units to fit the work.

Or printing lavatory signs to accommodate multitudinous genders.

[Philip Davies]

Whose "pous" (Greek for foot) ? As this article...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pous

indicates there were many versions, all of different lengths (reminiscent of the cubit confusion).

I love this quote from the article...

"Stecchini and others propose the Greek podes are different sizes because they are divided into different numbers of different sized daktylos to facilitate different calculations."

It's hard to construct a useful measurement system when you can adjust the units to fit the work.

There are indeed variations of the Greek foot. Neal explores the ratios between them.

[mklotz]

“One second of arc of the meridian degree is 100 Greek feet.”
This quotation is from “All done with mirrors” by John Neal

Very close, if the Greek foot was close to the inferial foot...

3959 miles (earth radius) * 2pi * 5280 (ft/mile) / (360 * 60 * 60) = 101.34 ft/arcsecond

Of course, we don't know what they used for the earth radius. (At least they knew it was a sphere and didn't think it was flat.)

[Toolmaker51]

Very close, if the Greek foot was close to the inferial foot...

3959 miles (earth radius) * 2pi * 5280 (ft/mile) / (360 * 60 * 60) = 101.34 ft/arcsecond

Of course, we don't know what they used for the earth radius. (At least they knew it was a sphere and didn't think it was flat.)

Might be my favorite distillation of mathematics, dependent on observation AND science. Epic, with Venetian cartographers and Portuguese sailing captains ignore all of it. Their concept held Earth barely half the actual and proven diameter.

https://www.aps.org/publications/aps...06/history.cfm