O moio-medida e o moio dos preços em Portugal nos séculos Xl a XIII

Abstract

In this paper, the value of the modius (modio, moyo, moio) in Portugal in the 11th to the 13th centuries is studied. By this time, the modius was both a measure of capacity and a unit used in the specification of prices. The author concludes that, while the modius-measure had a capacity not under the horse charge (210 to 220 litters) in the legal systems used in Portugal from the end of the 11th century onwards, some smaller modii continued to be used in rural areas far away from the main urban centers. These smaller modii had a capacity around 50 to 75 litters. With respect to the modius-price, the information gathered by the author indicates a value between 25 and 55 litters of cereal. Therefore, it becomes clear that the modius-price was not equivalent to the standard modius-measure, although it could be equivalent to the smaller modii still in use in rural areas. The gathered evidence also suggests that, from the 10th to the 13th centuries, independently of inflation, the modius-price remained approximately equivalent to the currency unit known as solidus