150 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



Length on Surface of Stylobate. 



French, M. 63.720 X 3.24395 = Gr. ft. 206.70448 

 German, M. 63.45 X ,, = ,, 205.82863 



Breadth. 



French, M. 27.75 X 3.24395 

 German, M. 27.56 X » 



Gr. ft. 90.0196 

 89.40 



The discrepancy shows the difficulty of obtaining exact measure- 

 ments of the ruins of so large a building, originally constructed of a 

 coarse stone, and so long exposed to the injury of time. Probably, 

 also, the measures were not taken at the same points. 



On the French plan, the diameter of a peristyle column is given at 

 2.244 M. ; on the German, at 2.24 M. 



2.244 M. = 7.27942 ft. 



Tiie French plan alone affords the measure of an upper diameter, 

 1.696 M. = 5.5017 ft. 



Now, as we have no means, by the comparison of a number of 

 measures t)f different columns, to deduce the ideal diameter, we are 

 obliged to depend on the probable ratio subsisting bc^tween the lower 

 and upper diameters. On inspection, it appears that the nearest likely 

 proportion is as three to four. This proportion exists between the 



or 0.308597. Herr Ailler (" Ausgrabungcn zu Olympia," p. 23) assumes without 

 argument that the Olympian foot was equal to M. 0.3168. This is a wide 

 divergence from the other authorities. The following table shows some of the 

 various estimates : — 



Lloyd 



Blouet 

 Adler 

 An res 



1 Gr. ft. = M. 0.3089; 

 1 „ = M. 0.30G8 ; 

 1 „ =M. 0.3168; 

 1 „ = M. 0.307 ; 



Vasquoz Queipo 1 „ =M. 0.3086; 

 Boeckh (deduced from his 



estimate of the Roman 



foot, "Public Economy 



of Athens," trans, by 



Lamb, p. 127.) 1 Gr. ft. = M. 0.308211 ; 1 M. 



1 M. = Gr. ft. 3.23748 

 1 M. = „ 3.25945 

 1 M. =^ „ 3.15656 

 1 M. = „ 3.25407 

 1 M. = „ 3.24044 



In this paper 



= M. 0.308266 ; 1 M. 



3.24453 

 3.24396 



