quartarus
Quick Summary
The term "quartarus" refers to an ancient Roman unit of liquid capacity. It was equivalent to one-fourth of a sextarius, which was a fundamental Roman measure for both dry and liquid goods. Based on an agreed-upon mean for the sextarius, the quartarus held approximately 8.85 cubic inches, or about 0.145 liters. This unit was part of a system that included other liquid measures like the sextarius, congius, urna, and amphora. The Roman measurement system, like those of the Greeks, was influenced by earlier Middle Eastern systems and spread through trade and conquest.1
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