Weights and Weighing Processes in Archaic and Classical Greek Literature
(2023) Shopping and Weighing Instruments in the Mediterranean World and Beyond throughout History — Location: Antalya, Turkey (27.November.2023)
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- Weights, weighing and the elements that characterise it, such as the balance, are well attested in Greek literature from the Archaic period to the Roman period. These notions appear in several literary genres: epic, theatre, historiography, philosophy, scientific treatises or rhetoric. However, previous works have focused more on the study of weights as material artefacts rather than on literary sources and the cultural framework for their use is still lacking. The aim of this paper is to undertake a multidisciplinary study on the definition of the concept of weighing, its daily use and its impact on the Greek collective imagination, focusing on Archaic and Classical periods. Firstly, terminology of weights and weighing processes is characterised by a non-homogeneous distribution of its attestations throughout Greek literature. The occurrences of certain words are absent or less numerous in certain times. Secondly, some terms are specific to particular literary genres and there are also differences by author. Furthermore, a typical feature of weighing terminology is polysemy. On inscriptions, this aspect is even more pronounced, since coins and weights of the same city often shared the same iconography and denominations. Indeed, inventories, public loans, subscriptions, tax records or laws concerning monetary and weight standards provide valuable information on the use of weights. Through an examination of literary certifications and their comparison with other textual sources (inscriptions) and archaeological sources (weights and coins), this paper aims at identifying the terminology linked to weighing processes and to delineate the process of cultural construction of the weighing phenomenon.
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Pavan, E. (2023). Weights and Weighing Processes in Archaic and Classical Greek Literature. Shopping and Weighing Instruments in the Mediterranean World and Beyond throughout History, Antalya, Turkey. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/29423