88 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
Hitherto, the moderns have regarded these statements as the results of suc- 
cessive experiments by the ancient geometers, to ascertain what has been suppos- 
ed to be unknown to them — the length of the terrestrial degree, or, at any rate, 
the true circumference of the earth ; and, on the face of it, the discrepancy is 
certainly glaring enough to justify the impression, and, at the same time, to sug- 
gest the theory both of serious errors in their work, and confusion among them 
as to the dimensions of the stadia used in the different surveys. 
The true character and object of these operations can only be understood by 
reading them in the light of contemporaneous history and in view of the spirit of 
the times, aided by such knowledge of the actual dimensions made use of as can 
be obtained or fairly inferred. 
It should be borne in mind that, as a rule, conquest has always involved 
more or less serious interference with the metrics of the people. And, from the 
nature of the case, this was a prominent feature of state policy among the an- 
cients. So long as a subjugated, but powerful and intelligent people retained the 
use of their traditional measures, cherished by the philosophers, and indissolubly 
connected with the mysteries and service of the temple, their complete subjection 
would be a matter of doubt. But the perils involved in the sudden and arbitrary 
overthrow of entire systems, were generally, in fact, sought to be avoided by 
modifications — compromises, under more or less specious and flattering pretexts. 
Now as to the measures — the stadia probably used — and the mode of reckon- 
ing: 
The Greek stadium was ^ of their mile of i,ooo paces, or double parade- 
steps; value = 604^ feet. The Romans had practically the same mile. Else- 
where, the stadium was 100 fathoms, and the fathom generally, 3 cubits. But 
the Hebrew fathom was 4 cubits. 
The Egyptian, Phenician, and Persian cubits was -^^ of the schoenus, which 
was equivalent to 145 j-^^,^ English feet. The Hebrew cubit was -^-^ of the schoe- 
nus. 
The Babylonian cubit was apparently the subtense of 1° on a radius of 100 
duodecimal feet, or 1,200 inches. Its value would depend on that of the inch. 
A form of it appears in Egypt, with some uncertainty as to the date of its intro- 
duction, under the name of the royal cubit. The Turin and Nilometer cubits, 
so called, are versions of it. The dimension was not far from 1.75 feet. A 
slight modification, to be understood further on, would place it at 1.75104 
English^feet. 
There would result : 
The Egyptian stadium = 437x0^ English feet. 
The Hebrew stadium = 729^^ English feet. 
The (supposed) stadium on fathom of 3 Hebrew cubits = 547y2^ English feet. 
The (supposed) stadium on fathom of 3 royal cubits = 5255-^^:^ English feet. 
Among the peoples concerned, the reckoning, for all general purposes, was 
