A Conversation for The Quite Interesting Society
QI - Fathom it out.....
gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA Posted Jul 30, 2010
Off topic, but yes! 5000 paces to the mille!
+3!
GT
QI - Fathom it out.....
bobstafford Posted Jul 30, 2010
In Roman law a soldier (Legion) could force a bystander to carry mis kit for a mile. Jesus said if they were required to carry it a mile, then carry it two miles.(Matthew 5:41) Hence go the extra mile
the word mile or miles comes from Miles Gregarius (ordinary legionary of good standing) as they did a lot of walking I suppose and the distance needed to be calculated.
A Roman mile (the old pre QE1 mile) = 1.3 UK modern miles was a standard 1000 paces, a roman pace was 5ft that was a measurement based every footfall of the left foot EG> what most people today would consider 2 paces, otherwise they would look like John Cleese in the Ministery of silly walks. 
QI - Fathom it out.....
bobstafford Posted Jul 30, 2010
PS - the Roman mile was 1000 paces 5ft or 2000 2.5ft steps, Total 5000 feet
QI - Fathom it out.....
Argon0 (50 and feeling it - back for a bit) Posted Jul 30, 2010
So Taff got it wrong at 5000 paces - its 5000 ft (I did wonder...)
What Bob says makes a lot of sense - a Mile could easily be a degradation of Mille - meaning 1000 - thus Bob's 1000 paces = mile...
Date - from what Bob said about ER1 - I'd guess the standardisation took place in the reign of Queen Elizabeth the 1st...
QI - Fathom it out.....
bobstafford Posted Jul 30, 2010
Correct assumption. The scottish mile was harmonised with the english by JR1/6
QI - Fathom it out.....
Argon0 (50 and feeling it - back for a bit) Posted Jul 30, 2010
Ok, so Lizzie was Queen in the latter half of the 16th century...
So guessing at.... Late in the reign... 1590 - 1600? 1594, 1595, 1596?
/aside/ Isn't it weird that the longest reigns of Monarchs in the UK are by Women
QE - ~ 50 years
Victoria ~ 60 years
QE II ~ almost 60 years so far...
\aside\
QI - Fathom it out.....
bobstafford Posted Jul 30, 2010
Dont forget Richard Cromwell died on 12 July 1712 at the age of 85 years, 9 months, and 8 days (31,328 days). This makes him the longest-lived 'ruler' of Great Britain, although his nine-month reign was one of the shortest.
QI - Fathom it out.....
gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA Posted Jul 31, 2010
Yep!!
Sorry! Got it wrong myself!!
It is 1000 paces to the mille, or mile!!
GT
QI - Fathom it out.....
gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA Posted Aug 1, 2010
Sorry Argon0.
Missed this.....
You mention 1600 as date of standardisation...
You do not know how close you are there!!!
GT
(Within 5 gets the points!!)
QI - Fathom it out.....
Taff Agent of kaos Posted Aug 1, 2010
was it when scotland came under the english crown, reign of james the first
QI - Fathom it out.....
gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA Posted Aug 1, 2010
Don't know my Ks and Qs Taff!
Dates only please!
GT
QI - Fathom it out.....
Taff Agent of kaos Posted Aug 1, 2010
all standard measurements were taken fron the body of the king, as liz had been on the thrown all previous meassurements were from her dad, so a new king a new set of measuments
james being forward thinking then set the measurements as standard for all time???
date????1600 ish
1605??
QI - Fathom it out.....
gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA Posted Aug 1, 2010
1605 gets the points, Taff!
+3
It was in fact 1607...
Do you know who though???
Anybody???
GT
QI - Fathom it out.....
Taff Agent of kaos Posted Aug 1, 2010
did he have a title??
lord or duke or suchlike??
QI - Fathom it out.....
gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA Posted Aug 1, 2010
Nope!
Unfortunately, he bore no title, but titled personages assisted his researches.
Among his advances in land surveying were the Cross Staff, and the Quadrant.
Clues enough there, methinks!
GT
QI - Fathom it out.....
hygienicdispenser Posted Aug 1, 2010
Dee was a magician/alchemist/astrologer/all-round clever guy in the court of Elizabeth the First.
QI - Fathom it out.....
bobstafford Posted Aug 1, 2010
Speed was the map maker though I am not sure he standardised the mile
QI - Fathom it out.....
gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA Posted Aug 5, 2010
No more takers on the chap's name?
If not, I will reveal all on Sunday!
GT
Key: Complain about this post
QI - Fathom it out.....
- 41: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Jul 30, 2010)
- 42: bobstafford (Jul 30, 2010)
- 43: bobstafford (Jul 30, 2010)
- 44: Argon0 (50 and feeling it - back for a bit) (Jul 30, 2010)
- 45: bobstafford (Jul 30, 2010)
- 46: Argon0 (50 and feeling it - back for a bit) (Jul 30, 2010)
- 47: bobstafford (Jul 30, 2010)
- 48: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Jul 31, 2010)
- 49: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Aug 1, 2010)
- 50: Taff Agent of kaos (Aug 1, 2010)
- 51: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Aug 1, 2010)
- 52: Taff Agent of kaos (Aug 1, 2010)
- 53: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Aug 1, 2010)
- 54: Taff Agent of kaos (Aug 1, 2010)
- 55: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Aug 1, 2010)
- 56: hygienicdispenser (Aug 1, 2010)
- 57: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Aug 1, 2010)
- 58: hygienicdispenser (Aug 1, 2010)
- 59: bobstafford (Aug 1, 2010)
- 60: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Aug 5, 2010)
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