Pace (length)

Pace (length)

A pace (or double-pace) is a measure of distance used in Ancient Rome. It is the measure of a full stride from the position of the heel when it is raised from the ground to the point the same heel is set down again at the end of the step. Thus, a distance can be "paced off" by counting each time the same heel touches ground, or in other words, every other step. In Rome this unit was standardized as five Roman feet (about 1.48 metres or 58.1 English inches).

The Byzantine pace or "vema" (βήμα IPA| ['vima] ) was 2½ feet (pous). [Erich Schilbach, "Byzantinische Metrologie", cited by V.L. Ménage, Review of Speros Vryonis, Jr. "The decline of medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor and the process of islamization from the eleventh through the fifteenth century", Berkeley, 1971; in "Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies" (University of London) 36:3 (1973), pp. 659-661. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0041-977X%281973%2936%3A3%3C659%3ATDOMHI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K at JSTOR (subscription required)] ]

References

ee also

* anthropic units
* Ancient Roman weights and measures
* Systems of measurement
* History of measurement
* Passus (length) (This has overlapped this article?)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pace — may refer to: *Pace (speed), the speed at which movement occurs *Pace (length), a unit of length * Peace in Italian, sometimes written on a rainbow flag * With peace in Latin (ablative case of pax ), sometimes used in formal writing to indicate… …   Wikipedia

  • Pace stick — A Warrant Officer of the Welsh Guards using his pace stick. A pace stick is a long stick usually carried by warrant officer and non commissioned officer drill instructors in the British and Commonwealth armed forces …   Wikipedia

  • pace — (p[=a]s), n. [OE. pas, F. pas, from L. passus a step, pace, orig., a stretching out of the feet in walking; cf. pandere, passum, to spread, stretch; perh. akin to E. patent. Cf. {Pas}, {Pass}.] 1. A single movement from one foot to the other in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pace — pace1 [pās] n. [ME pas < OFr < L passus, a step, lit., a stretching out of the leg < pp. of pandere, to stretch out < IE base * pet , to stretch out > FATHOM] 1. a step in walking, running, etc.; stride 2. a unit of linear measure …   English World dictionary

  • pace off — ˌpace ˈout ˌpace ˈoff [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they pace out he/she/it paces out …   Useful english dictionary

  • pace out — ˌpace ˈout ˌpace ˈoff [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they pace out he/she/it paces out present participle …   Useful english dictionary

  • pace — pace1 W3 [peıs] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(speed of events/changes)¦ 2¦(walk/run)¦ 3¦(step)¦ 4 keep pace (with something/somebody) 5 go through your paces 6 put somebody/something through their paces 7 set the pace 8 force the pace 9 be able to stand the pace… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • pace — 1 noun 1 WALK/RUN (singular) the speed at which you walk or run: They ve run the first mile in under six minutes can they keep up this pace? | at a steady/gentle/brisk pace: The troops marched at a steady pace. 2 SPEED STH HAPPENS (singular) the… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • pace — pace1 [ peıs ] noun ** ▸ 1 speed ▸ 2 exciting quality ▸ 3 walking/running step ▸ 4 ability to run quickly ▸ 5 way a horse walks/runs ▸ + PHRASES 1. ) singular or uncount the speed at which something happens or is done: the pace of something: The… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • pace — I UK [peɪs] / US noun Word forms pace : singular pace plural paces ** 1) [singular/uncountable] the speed at which something happens or is done the pace of something: The pace of technological change increased steadily during the 20th century.… …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”