Pous

feet) was a Greek unit of length of approximately 300mm or 12 inches.

The Greek pous also has long, median and short forms.

The pous spread throughout much of Europe and the Middle East during the Hellenic period preceding and following the conquests of Alexander the Great and remained in use as a Byzantine unit until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.

A pous is divided into digits or fingers (daktyloi) which are multiplied as shown.

The most obvious place to observe the relative difference is in the Greek orders of architecture whose canon of proportions is based on column diameters.