| alendar used today is based on the ancient | | | | Augustus. |
| Roman system of measuring time and dates. The | | | | Septimus: September, Octavus: October, Nonus: |
| modern calendar is far simpler than the Roman | | | | November, and Decimus: December mean |
| one. We group the years as AD, which stands for | | | | seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth. |
| Anno Domini, the year of our lord, and BC, Before | | | | The monthly calendar of the Romans was |
| Christ. The years are numbered within these two | | | | extremely complicated. Each month had three |
| groups. The numbers go backward from BC and | | | | special days in it. The saying that warned Julius |
| forward from AD. The Roman year, like ours, had | | | | Caesar to “beware of the Ides of |
| 365 days, and every fourth year was a leap year | | | | March” was referring to March 15. The |
| after Julius Caesar and his nephew Augustus had | | | | Ides, the day of the full moon, fell on the 13th of |
| reorganized the calendar. The year was also | | | | every month except March, July, and October. |
| divided into 12 months like ours. The names of | | | | During those months, they fell on the 15th. The |
| our months come from the Roman names. | | | | Calends, which comes from a word meaning |
| Before Caesar changed the calendar, the Roman | | | | announce, were the first days of the month. On |
| year began in March, and February was the last | | | | the first day of each month the high priest |
| month. | | | | announced the religious festivals that would take |
| Janarius: January, was named for the god Janus. | | | | place during the month. The Nones were between |
| Februarius: February, was the month of | | | | the alends and the Ides and fell on the ninth day |
| purification, from the verb februare to purify. | | | | before the Ides. The other days were figured |
| Martius: March, was named for the god Mars. | | | | backward from those three points, counting both |
| Aprilis: April, the month of new growth, came | | | | the first day and the last. March 3, for example, |
| from aperio, which means to open. | | | | would be called the fifth day before the Nones of |
| Maius: May came from the word maius, meaning | | | | March. The ides and the Nnes changed in certain |
| larger, since it is the month in which the plants | | | | months, which made this more complicated. March |
| grow. | | | | 16 would be the 17th day before the calends of |
| Junius: June was named for the goddess Juno. | | | | April, and so forth. During the time of Augustus, |
| Julius: July, named for Julius Caesar, who had | | | | great stone calendars were put up at important |
| birthday in that month. | | | | crossroads and at corners, used to help the |
| Augustus: August, named in honor of the Emperor | | | | average citizen figure out the date. |