(πούς/poús, 'foot', Lat. pes ). A poús is a Greek unit of length, taken from the proportions of the human body, of 4 παλαισταί (palaistaí; p alaistḗ ; 'hand width', Lat. palmus ) or 16 δάκτυλοι (dáktyloi; d áktylos ; 'finger width', Lat. digitus). Owing to differing regional calculations its length varied between c. 270 and 350 mm; an Attic foot was c. 300 mm. The poús is a subunit of larger units; 100 pódes correspond to a πλέθρον ( pléthron ), 600 pódes to a στάδιον ( st ádion ); cf. table.
| Greek units of length and the relationships between them | |
|---|---|
| Unit of length | δάκτυλος … |