League (unit)

The Leuge (Latin leuga / leuca, Gallic / Celtic lieska, Spanish / Portuguese league / Legoa / Legue, English League, French Lieue ) is a unit of length no longer in use outside the International System of Units.

It was formerly used in Europe and Latin America. Typical values ​​were between 2 km and 7 km.

History

Origin and sources

Since the word is Leuge Celtic origin, it is often assumed that the Leuge itself is of Celtic origin. However, this can not be confirmed by closer examination of the sources. Mentions the Leuge in ancient literature are the earliest from the 4th century AD before. As the only source of archaeological finds are of milestones. Of the 677 recorded in the corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum numbers are 472 still exist today, in the relevant territory of the Gallic and Germanic provinces 100 Among these, only 13 were in the vicinity of the associated Roman road, most of it was taken away, the second used or the origin is uncertain.

A tradition of the fixed size of a Gallic way measure from the period before the conquest of Gaul by Caesar appear less credible. This would only be possible with further use in road construction, as they needed appropriate measurement. Also, no written sources are on the pre-Roman road. For the road construction program of Agrippa and Claudius miliaria were used with miles counting exclusively in Gaul. Against the Celtic origin is supported by the fact that Gallia Narbonensis and the Britannic provinces have remained with the miles count.

Introduction of Leuge

The earliest mention of the Leuge found on a milestone of Trajan in Aquitaine. The introduction was initially both temporally and geographically uneven. The operation has been clarified only partially, which is due to the lack of sources, and is obviously in connection with the administration of the imperial roads. It should be noted that the inscriptions were indeed usually dedicated to the Emperor, but the stones were set by local civitas administrations, who were also responsible for the cura viarum ( road maintenance ).

While the findings of milestones with Leugenzählung under the emperors Trajan, Hadrian and Antoninus Pius were single finds, was apparently under Septimius Severus a comprehensive introduction to the Tres Galliae ( Belgium, Aquitania, Gallia ) and the Germanic provinces. A statement as a concession to the Gallic communities is incomprehensible because the emperor was the provinces that had the anti-emperor Clodius Albinus supported, not kindly disposed. From Walser and Rathmann has been convincingly demonstrated that the introduction could well have served economic interests. This would also explain why some communities on the border with Narbonensis as Colonia Iulia Equestris ( Nyon ) in Upper Germany, the civitas of the Aedui in Gallia Lugdunensis or some southern civitates the Aquitania in the miles count remained. But joined with Germania superior and inferior provinces of Leugenzählung that did not belong to the Celtic heartland, possibly due to a proximity to pes Drusianus, who was also called the foot of the Tungrer, suggesting.

Talk resulting from the introduction of difficulties also against a central control. On the major route Massilia - Augustodunum - Lutetia was first after miles, from the field of Segusavii after marker from to finally counted Augustodunum after miles and north of Haeduergebiets back marker from. The confusion is exacerbated by the fact that the old milestones remained standing next to the new one.

Conversion

The lack of consistency in the implementation and the lack of knowledge about the extent of the Celtic Leuge in the Roman Empire is still well by significant deviations in some regions. Originally called a Leuge the distance which a person can cover in an hour, so the synonym league. The Leuge was tied up in various countries to the respective standard unit of measurement, usually to one and a half, two or even three miles. Off again different definitions of miles resulting large variations in the marker from. In addition, the word Leuge was broadcast on German with translations from other languages ​​usually inaccurate as " mile".

Roman Leuge and mile

The conversion ratio of 1:1.5 mile to Leuge is secured alongside written sources by several milestone discoveries and is therefore given in relevant works universally with 2222 m. Most notable here are two stones from Mainz- Kastel, of which the elder indicates the distance to Wiesbaden ( Aquae Mattiacorum ) with six miles, the younger the same distance with four marker from. Also called a found near Bingen stone from Hadrian's time, the distance from Augusta Treverorum 72 miles, while that found in the same place for stone Septimius Severus and his sons, indicating a distance of 48 marker from.

The Leuge Roman period usually corresponds to a length of (1 ½ × 1.48 km =) 2.22 km. However, the aerial archaeologist Jacques Dassie found in Aquitaine evidence of Leuge of 2450 m, the same length determined Eric Weijters for Roman roads of the 2nd century in the Southern Netherlands. The deviation could possibly go back to using the common in some parts of the north-western provinces pes Drusianus, since it corresponds exactly 7500 Drusianischen foot. In any case, should both deviations as well as the measure of nationwide used under Severus of 2220 m or 7500 pedes artifices, that is, his adaptations to existing Roman extent, since they appear to be computationally balanced. Terms such as leuga Drusiana or Leuga gallica but have not been implemented so far in the German research.

Leugen in other countries

The Leuge is the Iberian unit of length a league similar, as is the French Lieue and the English League.

Comparisons

• See table in a mile.