Ancient Greek Numbers What do you think this is?
 Courtesy of Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University |
Yes, this is a multiplicaton table dating
from ca.100 AD. The ancient Greek numbering system was based
on their alphabet of 24 letters plus three other symbols borrowed from
the alphabets of
trading partners. The numbers 1 through 10 are written
across the top
and down the left column in the same pattern we often see today.
They continued using additional letters for multiples of 10 and
100. See if you can find these examples in the table.
The multiplication table
you are viewing had to
be memorized. Thus, we call this a "ciphered" numbering system.
(Reproduced
from a handwritten copy of Introductio
arithmetica attributed to Nicomachus of Gersa. This
particular copy is dated 1538 but the original was ca. 100 AD.)
