Metretes

Metretes (Ancient Greek: μετρητής) or Amphora Metretes/Amphoreus Metretes (ἀμφωρεύς μετρητής), sometimes simply referred to as Amphora/Amphoreus (ἀμφορεύς) (the shorter form of the older Homeric amphiphoreus (ἀμφιφορεύς)), and also as Kados (κάδος) in certain contexts, was the principal liquid measure used in the ancient Greek world.

This measure was equivalent to 12 choes (χοῦς), 72 xestae (ξέστης) (sextarii), 144 cotylae (κοτύλη), 576 oxybapha (ὀξύβαφα), and 864 cyathi (κύαθος). It represented three-quarters of the medimnus (μεδίμνους), the primary dry measure of the Greeks.

The Attic metretes was approximately 1.5 times the size of the Roman amphora quadrantal, containing about 39.39 liters (69.33 pints or just over 8.5 gallons), which corresponds to a water weight of about 1.5 talents.

The Aeginetan metretes was slightly larger, holding around 54.56 liters, or just over 12 gallons, roughly equivalent to the Persian artabe (ἀρτάβη) as noted by Herodotus.

The Macedonian metretes, according to Hultsch, is considered roughly equivalent to the Attic in size.

In some contexts, the term metretes also referred to a large earthenware vessel, particularly used for storing oil, as mentioned in Cato the Elder’s "De Agri Cultura".

See also

• Ancient Greek units of measurement