Ancient Egyptian units of measurement attested in Ptolemy's 2nd-century works. Ancient Egyptian units of measurement The ancient Egyptian units of measurement are those used by the dynasties of ancient Egypt prior to its incorporation in the Roman Empire and general adoption of Roman, Greek, and Byzantine units of measurement. The units of length seem to have originally been anthropic, based on various parts of the human body, although these were standardized using cubit rods, strands of rope, and official measures maintained at some temples. Following Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia and subsequent death, his bodyguard and successor Ptolemy assumed control in Egypt, partially reforming
The finger eye. In Greek the gesture was known as the "katapygon" ("κατάπυγον", from "kata" – κατά, "downwards" and "pugē" – πυγή, "rump, buttocks"). In ancient Greek comedy, the finger was a gesture of insult toward another person, with the term "katapugon" also referring to "a male who submits to anal penetration" or "katapygaina" to a female. In Aristophanes's comedy "The Clouds" (423 BC), when the character Socrates is quizzing his student on poetic meters, Strepsiades declares that he knows quite well what a dactyl is, and gives the finger. The gesture is a visual pun on the two meanings of the