CHAPTER VIII. How were Primitive Weight Units fixed?

same holds of the Greek system, for the drachma is described as containing 18 kerata or keratia, whilst according to others “it contains three grammata, but the gramma contains two obols and the obol contains three kerata, and the keras contains four wheat grains¹⁴.” From this we see that the keration or siliqua was further reduced to 4 sitaria, or grains of wheat, whilst from another ancient table of weights¹⁵ we learn that the siliqua likewise equals 3 barley-corns (siliqua grana ordei iii). Hence it appears that 3 barley-corns = 4 wheat grains. Thus both Greek and Roman systems just like the English and Irish take as their smallest unit a grain of corn. This also throws important light on the origin of that mysterious thing, the Troy grain. We saw above (8 Edward I.) that at the time of its introduction into England that 24 grains Troy = 32 grains of wheat, that is the Troy grain stands to wheat grain as 3:4. But as we have just seen that the siliqua = 3 barley-corns, and also = 4 wheat-corns, it follows that 3 barley-corns = 4 wheat-corns. And as 3 Troy grains = 4 wheat-corns, it likewise follows that 3 Troy grains = 3 barley-corns, or in other words, the barley-corn and Troy grain are the same things. It thus appears that the Troy grain is nothing more than the barley-corn,