Koinometry: how Enopolis tried to standardize all measurement

In the kingdom of Enopolis, people developed a system of measurement called Koinometry, built around a single unit named the Metron.

As trade increased between villages, Enopolis sought to create a universal standard. However, they soon found it difficult to compare measurements of different things, time versus distance, for example. A central institution began adjusting the Metron to fit each specific use, leading to a unit that changed depending on what it measured and even what was being measured.

Initially, one Metron of money represented the price of one Metron of goods. This system worked well for some time, with merchants even using it to guarantee annual deliveries of grain, with local officials adjusting the unit to account for regional needs. The measurement of time became particularly complex. The length of a temporal Metron varied based on the activity and even the observer’s perspective, with pleasant experiences seeming longer in memory. After roughly five centuries, Koinometry became unwieldy.

The governing institution struggled to keep the Metron current with a rapidly changing culture. Numerous, specific units of measure arose as alternatives, and while the government attempted to maintain conversions to the Metron, it eventually proved impossible. Disputes over measurements nearly caused a war with neighboring city-states, but the difficulty of converting units on maps and accounting for different experiences of time actually stalled military advances and allowed for a peaceful resolution.