Convert Furlong (fur) to Roman Actus (actus) instantly.
About these units
Furlong (fur)
A furlong, equal to 10 chains or 660 feet, originated as the distance a team of oxen could plow before needing rest. Its name derives from "furrow-long," indicating the length of a typical plowed furrow in medieval agriculture. This agricultural basis linked the furlong to the acre: a rectangle one furlong long and one chain wide equaled one acre in area. Today, the furlong is most notably used in horse racing, where race distances are often measured in furlongs rather than miles. This tradition reflects both the unit's historical importance and its suitability for describing moderate distances. While archaic in most contexts, the furlong remains a culturally iconic measure that connects modern sports to medieval agricultural practices.
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.