Roman Time and Intercalation

Question 1

The Roman calendar (fasti)

Answer 1

Romulus: 10 numbered months. Numa: 12 months. 355 days.
Called a “lunisolar” calendar

Question 2

Intercalation

Answer 2

Adding days to harmonize calendar with solar year. Macrobius: in alternate years add 22 or 23 days. Add days after Feb 23. Done by pontiffs (pontifices). So time is another thing that patricians control in earliest times

Question 3

Reforms by Julius Caesar, 46 BCE

Answer 3

Pontifex Maximus. Starts with a long intercalation. Add a leap day every 4 years. Sosigenes of Alexandria – astronomer and
mathmetician

Question 4

Adjustment by Augustus

Answer 4

But problem of Roman inclusive
counting – actually doing it every 3 yrs. Tweak by Augustus 8 BCE– now properly doing it every 4 yrs

Question 5

Gregorian Calendar, 1582

Answer 5

Pope Gregory XIII. True solar year is not precisely 365.25 days. Disjunction of 10 days has accrued. Adjustment: no leap day on years ending 00, e.g. in 2000

Question 6

Fun fact

Answer 6

Julius Caesar renamed the month of Quintilis after himself
(now July) And Augustus renamed Sextilis after himself (now August)

Question 7

Three named days in the month

Answer 7

Kalends (kalendae) (1st )
Debt payments due
Nones (5th or 7th )
8 days before the Ides
Ides (13th or 15th )

Question 8

Fasti: calendar of days showing religious stature

Answer 8

Festivals and sacrifices. Religious character of each day (fas, nefas etc) re doing public business. Can record events too. Marble calendars from late Republic, Augustan times

Question 9

Markings to show divine and human use

Answer 9

F: dies fastus
N: dies nefastus
C: dies comitialis
* Public assemblies can meet
NP: means feriae, public holidays
* tho people don’t know actual
Latin expansion

Question 10

Political fasti

Answer 10

Lists of consuls. May include events. Dedication of Ara Pacis, 6 March, 9 BC

Question 11

Marking years

Answer 11

Consular dates. AUC: ab urbe condita. Since the founding of the city. Emperor’s rule measured in tribunician power (TRIB POT)

Question 12

International time

Answer 12

Olympiads. Hercules founded the Olympic games 776 BCE

Question 13

Coordinating time: historians

Answer 13

Annalistic style. Christian historians want to tie together Biblical history with Olympiads and other historical events.
Eusebius (early 4th c.). Greek, Persian, Jewish, Roman sources. Organizes things in tables