336:'s conquests generated empirical estimates of ten stades to the English mile (1.609 km), and three miles to the parasang (4.827 km). "Whatever the basis of calculation, theoretical values for the stade and the parasang must be sought which do not greatly exceed estimates." A 1985 suggestion proposes that the parasang and Attic stade were defined in terms of the Babylonian beru, an astromically-derived
20:
308:
recorded that in the 10th century the north-eastern parasang was 15,000 paces, the north-western one was 18,000 paces, and the one of the south-west was merely 6,000 paces (but the "true" parasang, so
Mostofi, was 9,000 paces). Recalling local legend, Mostofi states the unit was defined by the
79:
from which it derives can no longer be determined (only two—of what must have been dozens—of Old
Iranian languages are attested). There is no consensus with respect to its etymology or literal meaning. In addition to its appearance in various forms in later Iranian languages (e.g.
252:(ii.21) however—while referring to Herodotus and Xenophon—notes that in his time the contemporary Persians considered the parasang to have only 21 stadia. Strabo (xi.xi.5) also notes that some writers considered it to be 60, others 40, and yet others 30. In his 1st-century
360:
in the stereotypical expression "απέχει παρασάγγας", i.e., "it is parasangs away", meaning that something is very far away from something else, particularly in terms of quality. As Hebrew 'parsah' (pl. parsoth), the parasang also finds use in the
67:
The parasang may have originally been some fraction of the distance an infantryman could march in some predefined period of time. Mid-5th-century BC Herodotus (v.53) speaks of an army traveling the equivalent of five parasangs per day.
352:
demonstrated that the length of
Xenophon's parasang varied with weather and the terrain across which the army travelled. The parasangs were longer when the road was flat and dry, but shorter when travel was slower.
300:), and then defines the parasang as the distance at which a man with good eyesight could determine whether a beast of burden was black or white. On the authority of older sources, the 14th-century
320:
Following the 30-stadia definition of
Herodotus and Xenophon, the parasang would be equal to either 5.7 km (Olympic measure) or 5.3 km (Attic measure). But in 1920, Kenneth Mason of the
1107:
324:
deduced that the parasang used in
Xenophon's Babylonian travel accounts was equal to only 2.4 miles (3.9 km). A mid-1960s search for the
340:
unit of time and linear distance. At 1 beru = 60 stadia = 2 parasang, the parasang could then "be expressed as 10,800 'common' Babylonian
1200:
170:
1205:
790:
438:
was defined by Arab astronomers as variously one 25th or one 22⅔ or as one 18½ of a caliphate terrestrial degree (= 3-4
1210:
1116:
1100:
914:
863:
771:
742:
388:
1093:
1048:
Washburn, E.W. (1926), "International
Critical Tables of Numerical Data, Physics, Chemistry and Technology",
459:
344:, or 18,000 Attic feet, both figures exactly." A 2010 study of the term parasang in Xenophon's account of
1215:
321:
55:, the length of which varied according to terrain and speed of travel. The European equivalent is the
1220:
52:
536:
387:, gives ten parsoth as the distance that a man can walk in a day. The farsang was also used as an
454:
different distances were given depending on whether one travelled on foot or on horseback, and a
238:
472:
s that "are now 'stabilised' at four miles, but in common parlance varies from three to seven."
762:
Bivar, A. D. H. (1985), "Achaemenid Coins, Weights and
Measures", in Gershevich, Ilya (ed.),
233:. A length of 30 stadia is also given by several later Greek and Roman writers (10th-century
548:
1057:
977:
783:
Encyclopaedia of
Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. Their SI Equivalences and Origins
442:), but the unit remained ambiguous in practice even in modern times. In late 19th-century
8:
384:
380:
333:
1061:
981:
1073:
1026:
993:
952:
897:
889:
846:
817:
464:
305:
1030:
908:
901:
857:
850:
821:
786:
767:
738:
732:
375:
366:
362:
345:
257:
141:
127:
76:
1077:
1065:
1018:
985:
944:
881:
838:
809:
451:
399:
290:
163:
88:
966:"Notes on the Canal System and Ancient Sites of Babylonia in the Time of Xenophon"
695:
458:
curiously described it as the distance covered between retying his shoe-laces. In
217:
The earliest surviving mention of the parasang comes from the mid-5th-century BC
268:
226:
149:
48:
275:
vi.26) noted that the
Iranians themselves assigned different lengths to it. The
1140:
81:
1022:
885:
842:
813:
1194:
1181:
937:
Proceedings of the Royal
Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography
349:
95:
56:
24:
59:. In modern terms the distance is about 3 or 3½ miles (4.8 or 5.6 km).
872:
Henning, Walter Bruno (1942), "An astronomical chapter of the Bundahishn",
357:
329:
32:
431:
unit of 6 km, established by act of Iranian parliament in 1926. The
395:
337:
286:
191:
72:
893:
764:
The Cambridge history of Iran: The Median and Achamenian Periods, vol. 2
1085:
997:
956:
297:
277:
1069:
439:
310:
218:
28:
989:
965:
948:
932:
1169:
1155:
1135:
1006:
629:
443:
249:
242:
230:
225:
ii.6, v.53, vi.42), who defines the measure to be equivalent to 30
561:
559:
557:
365:, in several uses, for instance in a description of the biblical
325:
641:
450:
was said to be as far as the sound of a drum reached, while in
332:
based on distances given in mid-4th-century BC chronologies of
301:
261:
177:
554:
260:"evidently the same measure as the Arabic parasang (while in
19:
506:
341:
314:
103:
605:
1145:
1130:
455:
234:
712:
653:
617:
71:
In antiquity, the term was used throughout much of the
831:
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
665:
595:
593:
591:
589:
587:
496:
494:
492:
490:
488:
157:
829:
Henning, Walter Bruno (1942), "Mani's Last Journey",
700:
677:
584:
518:
485:
204:), and should not be confused with the present-day
369:, the width of which is given as 8,000 parsaoth (
1192:
930:
766:, Cambridge University Press, pp. 610–639,
647:
635:
565:
924:The History of Herodotus: A New English Version
800:Hansman, John (1968), "The Problems of Qūmis",
296:as equivalent to a "parasang of 1000 paces" (a
135:
1101:
462:'s 1933-1934 travels through the orient, the
402:, typically measures distances in parasangs.
209:
199:
168:
926:, Oxford University Press, pp. 260–261, n. 9
185:
121:
110:
31:in the bottom left corner for both British
1108:
1094:
780:
724:
718:
16:Historical Persian unit of travel distance
1040:Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities
1038:Smith, William, ed. (1870), "Parasanga",
1115:
1056:(3003), New York: McGraw-Hill: 735–738,
1047:
871:
828:
706:
623:
611:
348:'s late-5th-century BC campaign against
18:
799:
730:
671:
1193:
933:"On the Length of the Persian Farsakh"
921:
512:
383:, on the authority of the 3rd-century
1089:
1037:
963:
761:
659:
599:
524:
500:
1004:
874:Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
802:Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
683:
578:
410:
158:
210:
200:
186:
122:
62:
35:and "Persian Farsangs or Parasangs"
13:
285:XXII), a 9th/10th-century text of
14:
1232:
1042:, Little, Brown, pp. 866–867
931:Houtum-Schindler, Albert (1888),
1201:Human-based units of measurement
689:
47:(from Arabic), is a historical
754:
737:. Sydney: Living Water Books.
571:
542:
530:
417:
398:, a religious text written in
23:1814 map of Persia during the
1:
1206:Obsolete units of measurement
913:: CS1 maint: date and year (
862:: CS1 maint: date and year (
781:Cardarelli, François (2003),
405:
479:
423:The present-day New Persian
248:ii.2.6). The 6th-century AD
94:), the term also appears in
7:
1011:Journal of Hellenic Studies
373:91b). In the commentary of
214:), which is a metric unit.
10:
1237:
322:Royal Geographical Society
104:
1211:Persian words and phrases
1176:
1164:
1123:
1023:10.1017/S0075426910000042
886:10.1017/S0035869X00097926
843:10.1017/S0041977X00090133
814:10.1017/S0035869X00126590
356:The term has survived in
136:
970:The Geographical Journal
731:Gelbert, Carlos (2011).
515:, pp. 260–261, n.9.
964:Mason, Kenneth (1920),
1007:"Xenophon's Parasangs"
939:, New Monthly Series,
313:to be equal to 12,000
169:
111:
36:
648:Houtum-Schindler 1888
636:Houtum-Schindler 1888
566:Houtum-Schindler 1888
537:Dehkhoda's Dictionary
264:4 sch equal 3 par)."
241:, 5th/4th-century BC
22:
1117:Hellenic measurement
785:, London: Springer,
77:Old Iranian language
1062:1927Natur.119..735G
982:1920GeogJ..56..468M
662:, pp. 480–481.
638:, pp. 585–586.
614:, p. 942, n.1.
468:gives distances in
381:Rabbah bar bar Hana
379:9, the 4th-century
289:tradition, glosses
190:). The present-day
1005:Rood, Tim (2010),
549:Mo'in's Dictionary
43:, also known as a
37:
1216:Standards of Iran
1188:
1187:
792:978-1-4471-1122-1
411:Explanatory notes
363:Babylonian Talmud
346:Cyrus the Younger
306:Hamdullah Mostofi
258:Isidore of Charax
254:Parthian stations
1228:
1110:
1103:
1096:
1087:
1086:
1080:
1070:10.1038/119735a0
1043:
1033:
1000:
959:
927:
922:Herodot (1859),
918:
912:
904:
867:
861:
853:
824:
795:
776:
749:
748:
728:
722:
716:
710:
704:
698:
693:
687:
681:
675:
669:
663:
657:
651:
645:
639:
633:
627:
621:
615:
609:
603:
597:
582:
575:
569:
563:
552:
546:
540:
534:
528:
522:
516:
510:
504:
498:
473:
421:
367:ladder to heaven
304:historiographer
291:Avestan language
267:The 1st-century
213:
212:
203:
202:
189:
188:
174:
161:
160:
139:
138:
125:
124:
114:
107:
106:
63:Historical usage
53:walking distance
1236:
1235:
1231:
1230:
1229:
1227:
1226:
1225:
1221:Units of length
1191:
1190:
1189:
1184:
1172:
1160:
1119:
1114:
1084:
990:10.2307/1780469
949:10.2307/1800976
906:
905:
855:
854:
793:
774:
757:
752:
745:
729:
725:
719:Cardarelli 2003
717:
713:
705:
701:
694:
690:
682:
678:
670:
666:
658:
654:
650:, pp. 584.
646:
642:
634:
630:
622:
618:
610:
606:
598:
585:
576:
572:
564:
555:
547:
543:
535:
531:
523:
519:
511:
507:
499:
486:
482:
477:
476:
422:
418:
413:
408:
273:Natural History
116:, in Hebrew as
108:), in Latin as
65:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1234:
1224:
1223:
1218:
1213:
1208:
1203:
1186:
1185:
1180:
1178:
1174:
1173:
1168:
1166:
1162:
1161:
1159:
1158:
1153:
1148:
1143:
1138:
1133:
1127:
1125:
1121:
1120:
1113:
1112:
1105:
1098:
1090:
1083:
1082:
1045:
1035:
1002:
976:(6): 468–481,
961:
943:(9): 584–588,
928:
919:
880:(3): 229–248,
869:
837:(4): 941–953,
826:
808:(2): 111–139,
797:
791:
778:
772:
758:
756:
753:
751:
750:
743:
723:
721:, p. 130.
711:
699:
696:B.Pesachim 93b
688:
686:, p. 65f.
676:
674:, p. 118.
664:
652:
640:
628:
626:, p. 235.
616:
604:
602:, p. 866.
583:
570:
568:, p. 586.
553:
541:
529:
527:, p. 629.
517:
505:
503:, p. 628.
483:
481:
478:
475:
474:
465:Road to Oxiana
415:
414:
412:
409:
407:
404:
389:Ethiopian unit
82:Middle Persian
64:
61:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1233:
1222:
1219:
1217:
1214:
1212:
1209:
1207:
1204:
1202:
1199:
1198:
1196:
1183:
1182:Salamis Stone
1179:
1175:
1171:
1167:
1163:
1157:
1154:
1152:
1149:
1147:
1144:
1142:
1139:
1137:
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1129:
1128:
1126:
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1118:
1111:
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1104:
1099:
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1092:
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1079:
1075:
1071:
1067:
1063:
1059:
1055:
1051:
1046:
1041:
1036:
1032:
1028:
1024:
1020:
1016:
1012:
1008:
1003:
999:
995:
991:
987:
983:
979:
975:
971:
967:
962:
958:
954:
950:
946:
942:
938:
934:
929:
925:
920:
916:
910:
903:
899:
895:
891:
887:
883:
879:
875:
870:
865:
859:
852:
848:
844:
840:
836:
832:
827:
823:
819:
815:
811:
807:
803:
798:
794:
788:
784:
779:
775:
773:0-521-20091-1
769:
765:
760:
759:
746:
744:9780958034630
740:
736:
735:
727:
720:
715:
708:
707:Washburn 1926
703:
697:
692:
685:
680:
673:
668:
661:
656:
649:
644:
637:
632:
625:
624:Henning 1942b
620:
613:
612:Henning 1942a
608:
601:
596:
594:
592:
590:
588:
581:, p. 51.
580:
574:
567:
562:
560:
558:
550:
545:
538:
533:
526:
521:
514:
509:
502:
497:
495:
493:
491:
489:
484:
471:
467:
466:
461:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
437:
434:
430:
426:
420:
416:
403:
401:
397:
392:
390:
386:
385:Rabbi Johanan
382:
378:
377:
372:
368:
364:
359:
354:
351:
350:Artaxerxes II
347:
343:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
318:
316:
312:
309:mythological
307:
303:
299:
295:
292:
288:
284:
280:
279:
274:
270:
265:
263:
262:Persia proper
259:
255:
251:
247:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
215:
207:
197:
194:word is also
193:
183:
179:
175:
173:
172:
165:
155:
151:
147:
143:
133:
129:
119:
115:
113:
101:
97:
93:
90:
86:
83:
78:
74:
69:
60:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
34:
33:Statute Miles
30:
26:
25:Qajar dynasty
21:
1150:
1053:
1049:
1039:
1014:
1010:
973:
969:
940:
936:
923:
877:
873:
834:
830:
805:
801:
782:
763:
733:
726:
714:
709:, p. 2.
702:
691:
679:
672:Hansman 1968
667:
655:
643:
631:
619:
607:
573:
544:
532:
520:
508:
469:
463:
460:Robert Byron
447:
435:
432:
428:
424:
419:
393:
391:for length.
374:
370:
358:Modern Greek
355:
330:Hekatompylos
319:
293:
282:
276:
272:
266:
253:
245:
229:, or half a
222:
216:
205:
195:
181:
167:
153:
145:
131:
117:
109:
99:
91:
84:
70:
66:
44:
40:
38:
755:Works cited
513:Murray 1859
396:Ginza Rabba
338:sexagesimal
287:Zoroastrian
192:New Persian
73:Middle East
1195:Categories
660:Mason 1920
600:Smith 1870
525:Bivar 1985
501:Bivar 1985
440:Arab miles
433:non-metric
406:References
298:Roman mile
278:Bundahishn
105:παρασάγγης
100:parasangēs
75:, and the
29:scale bars
1031:162819236
1017:: 51–66,
902:162187311
851:161286597
822:145399374
734:Ginza Rba
684:Rood 2010
579:Rood 2010
480:Citations
334:Alexander
311:Kai Kobad
302:Qazvinian
239:Hesychius
223:Histories
219:Herodotus
176:, and in
112:parasanga
1170:medimnos
1156:schoenus
1151:parasang
1136:plethron
909:citation
894:25221867
858:citation
577:qtd. in
452:Khorasan
444:Luristan
376:Pesachim
328:city of
326:Parthian
250:Agathias
243:Xenophon
231:schoenus
146:parsakhi
142:Georgian
128:Armenian
51:unit of
41:parasang
1078:4080525
1058:Bibcode
998:1780469
978:Bibcode
957:1800976
470:farsakh
448:farsakh
436:farsakh
425:farsang
400:Mandaic
371:Chullin
206:farsang
196:farsakh
182:farsakh
164:Turkish
132:hrasakh
89:Sogdian
85:frasang
49:Iranian
45:farsakh
27:, with
1165:Volume
1146:milion
1124:Length
1076:
1050:Nature
1029:
996:
955:
900:
892:
849:
820:
789:
770:
741:
429:metric
342:cubits
315:cubits
294:hathra
235:Suidas
227:stadia
178:Arabic
171:fersah
162:), in
154:parsḥā
150:Syriac
140:), in
137:հրասախ
126:), in
118:parasa
92:fasukh
57:league
1177:Other
1141:stade
1074:S2CID
1027:S2CID
994:JSTOR
953:JSTOR
898:S2CID
890:JSTOR
847:S2CID
818:S2CID
427:is a
269:Pliny
246:Anab.
211:فرسنگ
159:ܦܪܣܚܐ
148:, in
96:Greek
1131:pous
915:link
864:link
787:ISBN
768:ISBN
739:ISBN
456:Kurd
446:, a
394:The
237:and
201:فرسخ
187:فرسخ
123:פרסה
39:The
1066:doi
1054:119
1019:doi
1015:130
986:doi
945:doi
882:doi
839:doi
810:doi
806:100
283:GBd
180:as
166:as
152:as
144:as
130:as
98:as
87:or
1197::
1072:,
1064:,
1052:,
1025:,
1013:,
1009:,
992:,
984:,
974:56
972:,
968:,
951:,
941:10
935:,
911:}}
907:{{
896:,
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876:,
860:}}
856:{{
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586:^
556:^
487:^
317:.
256:,
1109:e
1102:t
1095:v
1081:.
1068::
1060::
1044:.
1034:.
1021::
1001:.
988::
980::
960:.
947::
917:)
884::
878:3
868:.
866:)
841::
825:.
812::
796:.
777:.
747:.
551:.
539:.
281:(
271:(
221:(
208:(
198:(
184:(
156:(
134:(
120:(
102:(
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