Convert Foot (ft) to Roman Actus (actus) instantly.
About these units
Foot (ft)
A foot, equal to 12 inches, has been used for thousands of years and likely originated from the length of a human foot. Though early definitions varied, the modern standard foot—established internationally in 1959—provides a stable and consistent reference. The foot remains the foundation of architectural and construction measurements in the United States, influencing everything from lumber dimensions to ceiling heights and room layouts. Because the foot is intuitively relatable to human scale, people often estimate heights, furniture sizes, and walking distances in feet. In aviation, altitude is universally measured in feet worldwide, even in countries that otherwise use metric units—an unusual but deeply embedded global convention. The foot's persistence shows how cultural inertia can remain strong even when a unit predates modern scientific measurement.
Roman Actus (actus)
The Roman actus was an ancient Roman unit of length measuring 120 Roman feet, or about 35.5 meters. It played an essential role in Roman land surveying and agriculture, forming part of the system used to organize farms, roads, and territorial divisions in the expanding Roman world. The actus helped define a square unit of land known as the actus quadratus, which was used for taxation, distribution of land to soldiers, and standardizing plots throughout Roman colonies. Surveyors relied on tools like the groma to lay out straight lines based on actus subdivisions, giving Roman lands their characteristic grid patterns. Although long obsolete, the actus provides key insights into Roman engineering, colonial administration, and agricultural policy. Many European land patterns can trace their roots back to Roman measurement practices — a testament to the enduring legacy of Roman surveying.