Months Of The Roman Calendar

The Basics of Roman Calendar

The Roman calendar was the calendar used by the Romans from the 8th century BC until the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It was based on a lunar calendar and had ten months, with the year starting in March and ending in December. Each month had either 30 or 31 days, except for February, which had 28 days in common years and 29 days in leap years.

Why Did the Romans Only Have Ten Months?

The Romans believed that the year had only ten months because that was the time it took for the sun to return to approximately the same position in the sky. They also believed that the winter season was a monthless period when time was not counted. It wasn't until later that two months, January and February, were added to the calendar to make it a total of 12 months.

The Months of the Roman Calendar

Let's take a closer look at the ten months of the Roman calendar and their meanings:

1. Martius

Martius was named after Mars, the Roman god of war. It was the first month of the year and marked the beginning of the military campaign season.

2. Aprilis

Aprilis was named after the Latin word "aperire," which means "to open." It was considered the month when the earth began to open up and spring flowers started to bloom.

3. Maius

Maius was named after Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. It was a time for celebrating new life and fertility.

4. Junius

Junius was named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth. It was considered a lucky month for marriages.

5. Quintilis

Quintilis was originally the fifth month of the calendar and was later renamed July in honor of Julius Caesar. It was a month of great heat and was associated with the harvest and the start of the summer season.

6. Sextilis

Sextilis was originally the sixth month of the calendar and was later renamed August in honor of Augustus Caesar. It was a month of great productivity and was associated with the harvest and the end of the summer season.

7. September

September was named after the Latin word "septem," which means "seven." It was originally the seventh month of the calendar before the addition of January and February.

8. October

October was named after the Latin word "octo," which means "eight." It was originally the eighth month of the calendar before the addition of January and February.

9. November

November was named after the Latin word "novem," which means "nine." It was originally the ninth month of the calendar before the addition of January and February.

10. December

December was named after the Latin word "decem," which means "ten." It was originally the tenth month of the calendar before the addition of January and February.

Question and Answer

Q: Why Did the Romans Use a Lunar Calendar?

A: The Romans used a lunar calendar because it was the most accurate calendar available to them at the time. However, it did not accurately reflect the solar year, which is why they had to add an extra month every few years to keep the calendar in sync with the seasons.

Q: Why Were January and February Added to the Calendar?

A: January and February were added to the calendar to bring the total number of months to 12 and to make the calendar more closely aligned with the solar year. January was named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, and February was named after Februa, a Roman festival of purification.

Q: Why Were Some Months Renamed?

A: Some months were renamed to honor famous Roman leaders. Quintilis was renamed July in honor of Julius Caesar, and Sextilis was renamed August in honor of Augustus Caesar.

Q: How Did the Roman Calendar Influence Our Modern Calendar?

A: Our modern calendar is based on the Roman calendar, with some modifications. The months of January and February were added, and the length of the months was adjusted to better reflect the solar year. However, the names of the months and the order in which they appear in the calendar are still based on the Roman model.