The Roman Calendar
The
Roman calendar is a fascinating topic! It has evolved significantly
over time, reflecting the changes in Roman society and their
understanding of astronomy. Here's a detailed overview:
Early
Roman Calendar
The
earliest Roman calendar, attributed to Romulus, the founder of Rome,
was a lunar calendar with 10 months and a total of 304 days. The
months were:
Martius
(31 days)
Aprilis
(30 days)
Maius
(31 days)
Junius
(30 days)
Quintilis
(31 days)
Sextilis
(30 days)
September
(30 days)
October
(31 days)
November
(30 days)
December
(30 days)
Numa
Pompilius' Reforms
Numa
Pompilius, the second king of Rome, reformed the calendar around 713
BCE. He added two months, Januarius and Februarius, to align the
calendar more closely with the lunar year. The revised calendar had
355 days:
Januarius
(29 days)
Februarius
(28 days)
Martius
(31 days)
Aprilis
(30 days)
Maius
(31 days)
Junius
(30 days)
Quintilis
(31 days)
Sextilis
(30 days)
September
(30 days)
October
(31 days)
November
(30 days)
December
(30 days)
Intercalation
To
keep the calendar in sync with the solar year, the Romans used a
system of intercalation, adding an extra month called Mercedonius or
Intercalaris. This month was inserted after Februarius every two or
three years, but the system was often manipulated for political
purposes, leading to confusion.
Julian
Calendar
Julius
Caesar reformed the Roman calendar in 46 BCE, creating the Julian
calendar. He introduced a solar calendar with 365 days and a leap
year every four years. The months were:
Januarius
(31 days)
Februarius
(28/29 days)
Martius
(31 days)
Aprilis
(30 days)
Maius
(31 days)
Junius
(30 days)
Quintilis
(31 days) - later renamed Julius in honor of Julius Caesar
Sextilis
(31 days) - later renamed Augustus in honor of Emperor Augustus
September
(30 days)
October
(31 days)
November
(30 days)
December
(31 days)
Gregorian
Calendar
The
Julian calendar was used until the introduction of the Gregorian
calendar in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. The Gregorian calendar
corrected the inaccuracies of the Julian calendar by adjusting the
leap year rule and realigning the calendar with the solar year.
Conclusion
The
Roman calendar's evolution reflects the Romans' efforts to create a
more accurate and practical system for measuring time. From its early
lunar roots to the solar-based Julian calendar, the Roman calendar
has had a lasting impact on the way we measure time today.
The Roman Calendar: Origins &
Festivals
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This
book explores the origins of our calendar which dates back to the
days of ancient Rome. The festivals and various celebrations are
described, from the wild excesses of the Lupercalia to the gentler
pastoral Floralia and Ambarvalia, the Roman zest for life shines
through their year. The whole of the Roman world can be found in the
chronology of time. How they related to their God's and Goddesses,
their mythology, their sports, harvests, work and play. Now is the
time to decode this enigma and see how the Romans really lived, so
turn back the clock, step back in time, its all in our calendar!
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