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ὄνοισι. They made and kept the cables taut ‘by wooden capstans’ on either shore. If H. means that the cables were all in one piece, he is of course wrong, as the weight would be too great; doubtless each was made in eight or ten pieces; the length of modern cables is 720 feet.

οὐκέτι, ‘not again,’ the failure of the first bridge being ascribed to the weakness of the cables.

κατὰ λόγον, ‘proportionately’ (i. 134. 2). The four byblos ropes were absolutely heavier than the two esparto-grass.

τάλαντον: probably the talent of commerce weighing 138/100 of the Attic coinage standard, i. e. according to Hultsch (Metrol.2 135) 36˙15 Kilo, roughly 80 lb., or, according to Gardner, 37˙7 Kilo nearly 84 lb. For the cubit cf. i. 178. 3 n.

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