Lucae Paeti ... de mensuris, et ponderibus Romanis, et Graecis

handed down. And from this point, they named these uncial inch-based divisions of the foot with the same names by which the parts of the As are designated: Uncia 1 inch, Sescuncia 1.5 inches, Sextans 2 inches, Quadrans 3 inches, Triens 4 inches, Quincunx 5 inches, Semis 6 inches, Septunx 7 inches, Bessis 8 inches, Dodrans 9 inches, Dextans 10 inches, and Deunx 11 inches. Concerning the Sescuncia, which is an inch and a half, and the Sextans, which is the sixth part of a foot containing two inches, Pliny mentions them (Book 36, chapter 25 of the Naturalis Historia) while speaking of pavements in these words: "The slope, however, was maintained at ten feet, a sescuncia." And in Book 13, chapter 15, regarding cedar tables: "In this matter, it should not be omitted that Prince Tiberius had a table exceeding four feet by a sextans and a sicilicus quarter of an inch, with a thickness of a sescuncia." From his words, it can also be gathered that these pedal inches were divided by the ancients into even smaller parts, which will appear more clearly from what is to be said below. Thus also, Pliny called a thickness of three fingers a Quadrans in these words: "The greatest size so far was one of a piece joined from two halved trees, by King Ptolemy of Mauretania, four feet and a half in circumference through the middle, with a thickness of a quadrans." From this half-foot, he said a semipedal thickness (Book 36, chapter 25). Thus also, Vitruvius (Book 7, chapter 4) called them bessales eight-inch bricks, which were of eight inches in width, saying: "Then let bipedal tiles be placed on one side above the margin of the channel, and on the other side let pillars be constructed with bessales bricks." Thus also, Columella (Book 4, chapter 1) spoke of a dodrans for nine pedal inches in these words: "Indeed, for grape seeds, it is necessary to dig trenches deep enough, adding a dodrans above the bipedal height." And again near the end of the same chapter: "But it is not the height of a dupondius two feet and a dodrans that could accomplish this." In which place he took the dupondius for two feet, as if pedal feet were weight units. Similarly, Pliny (Book 7, chapter 2) writing: "Above these, in the extreme part of the mountains, the Pygmies are said to be a span long, that is, not exceeding three spans, or three dodrantes." Which Vitruvius had also said (Book 3, chapter 3), where, treating of the steps of temples, he says: "I believe the thicknesses of those steps should be finished so that they are neither thicker than a dextans ten inches, nor thinner than a dodrans." In which place he put dextans for a space of ten inches. This custom of dividing into an As, inches, and parts of an inch was also observed by the Jurisconsults in inheritances, as Ulpian attests in the law, Si servum.