[ 779 ] 
the meafure of the Roman foot, will be fiill more 
unexceptionable, as the writers on this fubjeCt are 
not agreed, which of the different authorities is to be 
preferred. 
The reprefentations of this foot in fculpture, are 
four in number ? one on the fepulchral monument of 
Coflutius, formerly in the Colotian gardens at Rome ; 
another on that of Statilius, in the Belvedere j a third 
on that of M. Ebutius, in the Villa Mattei (6) ; and 
the fourth on a marble, without infeription, dug up 
of late years in the Via Aurelia, which, being in the 
poffeffion of the Marquis Capponi, is called, by P. 
Revillas, the Capponian foot. 
Moft of the early writers on this fubjeCt have ex- 
prelfed their meafure of the Roman foot by a dia- 
gram 5 and Snellius (7) obferving, that the paper con- 
tracted in drying, after the impreffion was taken off, 
endeavoured to make a proper allowance for it. But 
Greaves, finding the meafures of thefe figures to dif- 
fer in different copies of the fame impreffion, took 
another method ; and feems to have been the firft 
that compared the original figures on the monuments 
of Coffutius and Statilius with a modern ftandard. 
This he did with fuch care and diligence, that his 
meafures deferve a particular examination. 
The London foot, which he ufed upon this occa- 
fion, was taken from the iron ftandard of 3 feet in 
(6) Picard and Auzout (in a paper called De Menfuris, here- 
after quoted) have given the meafure of the foot on this monument 
of Ebutius for the Colotian foot. 
(7) See his Diflertation on the Roman Foot, in the 3d vol. of 
Sagai di Diflertazioni Academiche di Cortona. 
V ol. LI. 5 H the 
