length of an ordinary man. Explanation of the difference of theſe accounts This difference of length appears to have been in the proportion of 25 to 24. The real length of the ſtadium was the ſame among the Romans as it was among the Greeks; but the Greek foot being longer than the Roman, cauſed the Greeks to reckon fewer feet to the ſtadium than was done by the Romans.
Even when the length of the mile was reduced, that of the ſtadium ſeems to have continued the lame as formerly. Thus Suidas reckons the mile in his time only at ſeven ſtadia and an half or 4500 feet; by which it is clear, that he means the proportion of 600 feet to a ſtadium, and thoſe Herculean feet, which he had before reckoned at 4800 to a mile.
I have no doubt therefore that 600 feet was the ſtandard, or legal meaſure of the ſtadium; and in this opinion almoſt all the early writers agree, except when they ſpeak of meaſurements governed by local cuſtoms. Cauſes of the errors of ancient writers Errors and inconſiſtencies are however frequent, from the ancient writers quoting ſo often as they appear to have done from memory only; from the Want of a free communication of information, and from the natives of one country not underſtanding the language, cuſtoms, or uſages of another. Thus Strabo[1] tells us, that Polybius, who had probably been uſed to count 600 Greek feet to the Radium, obſerves, that, according to this computation, one third of a itadium was neceſſary to be added to each mile of eight ftadia, in order to bring it to 'its proper length.
- ↑ Strabon lib. vii.
tione proportion is habita, tanto fuiſſe quam aliorum procerius, quanto Olympic ſtadium longius eſſet quam cactera. Aul. Gell. lib. i. c. 1.
