Mensa Ponderaria, used to control Pompeii's units of measurement. Merchants were required to compare their measurements with the official ones before distributing their products to ensure uniformity with the approved weights and measures. It is made from two stacked limestone slabs, each with cavities corresponding to the different measurements, and a hole in the bottom through which the measured product could be removed. It is built into the east wall of the temple of Apollo, built in the late 2nd century BC. The slabs, on the basis of the inscription, date from about 20 BC.

A(ulus) Clodius A(uli) f(ilius) Flaccus N(umerius) Arcaeus N(umeri) f(ilius) Arellian(us) Caledus / d(uum)v(iri) i(ure) d(icundo) mensuras exaequandas ex dec(urionum) decr(eto)

Aulus Clodius Flaccus, son of Aulus; Numerius Arcaeus Arellianus Caledus, son of Numerius, the two magistrates (who run the city) made this units of measurement control by decrete of the municipal concil (or the concil of decuriones).

 

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