ἀρτάβη <Unspecified origin/Iranian?; Classical period>
👉 ἀρτάβη f. – ‘artaba, a Persian and Egyptian measure of capacity (in Persia: ≈ 52-56 litres; in Egypt: ≈ 39-44 litres, later ≈ 29 litres; also ≈ 20 litres)’ (Hdt. 1.192; P.Cair.Zen. 113.5, 6, 13, 14 and 124.7 (in both papyri abbreviated as ἀρ): 3rd c. BCE; LXX: Is. 5.10; Plb. 5.89.1 and 4; etc.); the artaba is referred to as an equivalent to: a) 1 Attic medimnos and 3 choinikes ≈ 56 litres (Hdt. 1.192); b) 1 Attic medimnos ≈ 52 litres (Polyaen. 4.3.32; Hsch. α 7471 = Suda α 4020); c) 72 xestai / 72 sextarii / ½ Ptolemaic medimnos / 4.5 modii ≈ 39 litres (Epiph., De mens. (Hultsch) 82.14 (= Epiph., De mens. (Moutsoulas) 734f.), 84.11 (= Heron, De mens. 61.11); Ps.-Heron, De mens. 81.5; Isid., Etym. 16.26.16); d) 40 choinikes / 5 modii ≈ 44 litres (P.Oxy. 9.8-9: 3rd-4th c. CE; Ps.-Gal., De pond. 55.1); e) 3⅓ modii ≈ 29 litres (Ps.-Heron, De mens. 81.5); f) 2¼ modii ≈ 20 litres (Heron, De mens. 18.1).
⚠ Hdt. 1.192: ἡ δὲ ἀρτάβη μέτρον ἐὸν Περσικὸν χωρέει μεδίμνου ᾿Αττικοῦ πλέον χοίνιξι τρισὶ ᾿Αττικῇσι – “the artaba is a Persian measure, containing more by three Attic choenixes than an Attic medimnos” (trans. A.D. Godley); Polyaen. 4.3.32: ἡ δὲ ἀρτάβη ἡ Μηδικὴ μέδιμνός ἐστιν ᾿Αττικός – “the Median artaba is (equal to) an Attic medimnos”; Hsch. α 7471 = Suda α 4020: ἀρτάβη: μέτρον Μηδικὸν σίτου, ᾿Αττικὸς μέδιμνος. – “artabē: a Persian measure of grain, (equivalent to) an Attic medimnos” (trans. J. Benedict in Suda On Line); Schol. in Atistoph.: Ach. 91: Περσικὸν δὲ καὶ Αἰγύπτιον τὸ ὄνομα (scil. ἀρτάβη) – “(artabē) is a Persian and Egyptian name”; Isid., Etym. 16.26.16: Artaba mensura est apud Aegyptios sextariorum septuaginta duorum (...). – “The artaba is a measure used by the Egyptians, consisting of seventy-two sextarii (...)” (trans. A.S. Barney et al.); Epiph., De mens. (Hultsch) 82.14 = Epiph., De mens. (Moutsoulas) 734f.: ἀρτάβη, τοῦτο τὸ μέτρον παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις ἐκλήθη. ἔστι δὲ οβ′ ξεστῶν. – “Artabē, this measure was named so amongst the Egyptians. It consists of 72 xestai.”; Epiph., De mens. (Hultsch) 84.11 = Heron, De mens. 61.11: ἀρτάβη παρ' ῾Εβραίοις ξεστῶν οβ′. (...) ἀρτάβη δὲ ἐκλήθη ἀπὸ τοῦ παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις ὀρτόβ, ὅ ἐστι καλῶς συγκείμενον. – “Artabē amounts to 72 xestai amongst the Hebrews. (...) artabē was named by the Egyptians from ortob that means ‘well composed’.”; according to the Syriac translation of Epiphanius’ work, the description of artabē is as follows (chapter 28): “(Concerning) the ardeb. This measure was named by the Egyptians, and it consists of 72 xestai. (...). But that which is called the ardeb is called the artaba in the language of the Egyptians, which is interpreted ‘well composed’ or ‘well constituted’. It is artaba in the Greek for the sake of clearness. And the Hebrew is abundantly used to this measure because of the sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt, whence they acquired the use of the measure. (...) that (scil. ardeb) which (is composed) of 72 (scil. xestai); (...)” (trans. J.E. Dean). Moreover, see Suda α 4671 (= Schol. in Aristoph.: Ach. 108): ἀχάνη: μέτρον ἐστὶ Περσικόν, ὥσπερ ἡ ἀρτάβη παρὰ Αἰγυπτίοις. (...) – “Achanē: It is a Persian measure, just like the artabē amongst Egyptians. (...)” (trans. J. Benedict in Suda On Line); note that ἀχάνη (with the basic meaning of ‘chest, box’) is probably not a name of a Persian unit; this meaning seems to be a result of a misinterpretation of Ar., Ach. 106-109, and of a connection with ἀχάνη f. ‘a large Beotian measure of capacity (equal to 45 Attic medimnoi ≈ 2350 litres)’ (Arist., fr. 566).
🅔 An Oriental loanword. The artaba seems to be originally an Iranian measure of capacity that was widespread in the Near East; it is difficult to ascertain from what language its name came into Greek (Old Persian? Imperial Aramaic? Egyptian? etc.) – Elamite ir-du-ba, ir-ti-ba, ir-du-ba-um, ir-du-ba-am, ir-du-ma-um (from Old Persian), Akkadian (Neo-Babylonian) ardabu (from Aramaic or Old Persian), Imperial Aramaic ʾrdb (from Iranian), Jewish Aramaic ʾardəḇā (from Iranian), Mandaic ardba (from Iranian), Syriac ʾrdbʾ (from Iranian; but ʾrṭbʾ from Greek), Armenian ardu (from Iranian), Arabic irdabb, ardabb (from Aramaic?), Modern Persian irdabb (from Arabic), Demotic rtb, Coptic ⲁⲣⲧⲟⲃ, ⲁⲣⲧⲁⲃ, ⲣⲧⲟⲃ, (ⲉ)ⲣⲧⲟϥ (S), ⲉⲣⲧⲟⲃ (S, B), ⲉⲣⲧⲟⲡ, ⲉⲣⲧⲱⲃ (B), ⲣⲧⲁⲃ (S, M), ⲉⲣⲧⲁⲃ (S, F, M), ⲉⲗⲧⲁⲃ, (ⲉ)ⲗⲧⲁϥ (F); the volume of the unit often differs depending on place and time. See also ὀρτόβ.
📖 Data: CAD: I.2, 241; CD: 305; CDA: 23; CDD: s.v. rtb; CDO: s.v. ⲣⲧⲟⲃ; CPED: 35; DG: 259; DJBA: 164; DMWA: 13; DNWSI: 103; EW: 772f. and 783; KH: 168; MD: 36; NDAE: 72; SL: 95 and 98. Ref.: DELC: 16; EDG: 141; EIr: s.v. artabē; Hemmerdinger 1969: 18f.; Hemmerdinger 1970: 46; Hinz 1975: 204f.; ILS: 116.; Pommerening 2005: 163f.; Schmitt 1971: 100-102; Tavernier 2007: 449f.; Torallas Tovar 2007: 690; Vitmann 2004: 137; Vleeming 1981.