Obol

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

One sixth of a drachma, about 0.73 g.

1 obol = 0.0007276666667 kilograms (approximately).

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

About the obol

Before coins, Greek bullion money circulated as iron or bronze rods called obeloi, which literally means spits. Six of them could be held in one hand, and that handful gave the drachma its name. When silver coinage appeared, the small coin worth one rod kept the title obol, so a word for a cooking skewer ended up naming the sixth part of a drachma.

On the Attic standard an obol weighed about 0.72 grams, and the figure used here, 0.7277 g, is simply the drachma figure divided by six. Surviving coins vary, and the Aeginetic obol was heavier, near 1.05 grams. Each obol was in turn split into four tetartemoria of about 0.18 grams. The obol was the small change of Athens: jurors were paid in fractions of a drachma, and its weight is comparable to a single paperclip or a small grain of rice, about a fortieth of an ounce.

Sources: Wikipedia: Ancient drachma; Wikipedia: Ancient Greek units of measurement

Obol conversion chart

1 obol expressed in every other weight & mass unit:

More Ancient Greek units

• Attic talent (weight & mass)
• Attic mina (weight & mass)
• Attic drachma (weight & mass)
• stadion (length)
• Greek foot (Olympic) (length)
• olympiad (time)
• myriad (counting & quantity)

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