Amphora

Ancient RomanHistorical unit (no longer in standard use)Approximate value

The 'amphora quadrantal', defined as one cubic Roman foot (about 26.2 L). The standard Roman liquid measure for wine and oil.

1 amphora = 26.2 liters (approximately).

Approximate value. Standards for the amphora varied by place and period, so this converter uses the most commonly cited value. Treat results as estimates, not exact figures.

About the amphora

Greek amphoreus, shortened from amphiphoreus, meant carried on both sides, a reference to the two handles of the clay jar that gave the unit its name. The Romans took the word over during the period of Hellenization, and Cato the Younger is the earliest known writer to use it. Amphorae carried wine, olive oil, garum, grain and olives around the Mediterranean, and most stood about 45 cm tall.

As a measure, the Roman amphora is properly the amphora quadrantal, defined as one cubic pes, the Roman foot of roughly 296 mm. Wikipedia's table gives 26.2 L for it, while the text of the same article rounds the cube to about 25.9 L, so the figure used here is 26.2 L and the true value is uncertain by a few percent. It equals 8 congii or 48 sextarii. Another Wikipedia article mentions a wine amphora of about 39 L, which shows that the jar and the legal unit were not always the same size. In modern terms the quadrantal is close to 7 US gallons.

Sources: Wikipedia: Ancient Roman units of measurement; Wikipedia: Amphora

Amphora conversion chart

1 amphora expressed in every other volume unit:

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