Roman Calendar.

[Gaius Octavius]

From: http://webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-...ml#Anchor-63546

 

 

"January was named after Janus, a sky-god who was ancient even at the time of Rome's founding. Ovid quoted Janus as saying "The ancients called me chaos, for a being from of old am I." After describing the world's creation, he again quoted Janus: "It was then that I, till that time a mere ball, a shapeless lump, assumed the face and members of a god." A Lydian named Joannes identified Janus as a planet when he wrote: "Our own Philadelphia still preserves a trace of the ancient belief. On the first day of the month there goes in procession no less a personage than Janus himself, dressed up in a two-faced mask, and people call him Saturnus, identifying him with Kronos."

 

Early Romans believed that the beginning of each day, month and year were sacred to Janus. They thought he opened the gates of heaven at dawn to let out the morning, and that he closed them at dusk. This eventually led to his worship as the god of all doors, gates, and entrances.

 

Some say Februarius got its name from a goatskin thong called a februa ("means of purification.") On the 15th day of this month Romans observed the festival of Lupercalia. During the festival, a februa was wielded by priests who used it to beat women in the belief that it would make a barren woman fertile. However, there's a Latin verb februare, meaning to "expiate" or "purify." It seems more reasonable to assume the purification people had in mind when naming the month was that of the calendar year's length, not that of women upon whom the thong was applied."

 

February also devoted to the Infernal Gods.

 

The above site also goes into how to read a Roman Calendar and its history.

 

And the Moon will be eclipsed tomorrow - EVIL!

Edited March 3, 2007 by Gaius Octavius

[docoflove1974]

Cool site...I've never gotten the whole Roman calendar idea down. Some months have ides, others not...I really can't say I understand it. So is the 'more modern' calendar of the empire (with July and August) easier to maneuver?

[Gaius Octavius]

From:

 

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encycl...ancalendar.html

 

"England, Wales, and Ireland (and the British colonies) did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752, in response to legislation introduced by Lord Chesterfield. Previously, the new year had begun on March 25 (the traditional date for the spring equinox) and, by then, was eleven days behind the Gregorian calendar, a discrepancy that was corrected by having September 14 follow September 2 that year."

 

The above confirms, somewhat, my belief that the beginning of the Roman New Year was on the present March 21st.

Edited March 3, 2007 by Gaius Octavius

[Gaius Octavius]

Cool site...I've never gotten the whole Roman calendar idea down. Some months have ides, others not...I really can't say I understand it. So is the 'more modern' calendar of the empire (with July and August) easier to maneuver?

 

Re Ides, see:

 

http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-calendar.php

 

-----------------------------------

 

Calendar January to June:

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1589

 

July to December:

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1590

Edited March 3, 2007 by Gaius Octavius

[docoflove1974]

Sweet...something to read up on when I'm procrast...er...taking a break

[Ursus]

Yeah, I get a kick out of the original Roman calendar, with it being essentially lunar, and the full moon sacred to Jupiter. One doesn't often equate the moon with Jupiter, especially in this day and age of neopagan lunar goddesses.

 

But I much prefer the more rational solar calendar left to us by Caesar and Pope Gregory.

[Gaius Octavius]

Any comments about my thought that the original New Year began on our March 21st?

[docoflove1974]

Any comments about my thought that the original New Year began on our March 21st?

 

Makes sense; it's the start of spring, to signify the start of a new growing year. Although how would this fit in with sowing of seeds...wouldn't that be done often during winter?

[Ruthe]

Any comments about my thought that the original New Year began on our March 21st?

 

All you ever need or want to know about calendars, including Roman calendars, 'kalends' and 'ides' can be found All you ever wanted to know about calendars.

 

This does not explain why March 25th was the start of the new year until Britain switch from the Julian to Grtegorian calendars in 1752, but this entry in Wikipedia does.

 

However, what is also not mentioned is why the UK tax year starts on April 5th. Because by the time the UK switched calendars the UK was 11 days out of step with the seasons, it was necessary to omit 11 days at the time the change took place. Thus in 1752 in the UK and its colonies September 2nd was followed by September 14th. Quite apart from the fact that many of the British population objected to the loss of those 11 days, even more urgent was the outcry from the British Treasury which could not countenance the loss of 11 days taxes for the entire tax paying population. So what did they do? They did not change the start of the tax year to coincide with the start of the new legal year on January 1st, but instead moved it 11 days later. Where does that take it? Well, to April 5th, which as every tax paying citizen of the UK knows is the current start of the tax year and has been since 1753!

 

Hope these links and snippets answer your questions GA and others.

[Gaius Octavius]

Let's see if the god-Consul has it right. Today, March 13th is: Ante Diem III Ides Martius?, three days before that vile clique of thugs, headed up by the scoundrel Brutus, did away with my Glorious Great Great Grandfather.

 

Counting today (as the Romans did), all y'all have only three days left in which to get your ESSAYS in and have a crack at winning a prize!

 

G.O, Cos.

[The Augusta]

Let's see if the god-Consul has it right. Today, March 13th is: Ante Diem III Ides Martius?, three days before that vile clique of thugs, headed up by the scoundrel Brutus, did away with my Glorious Great Great Grandfather.

 

Counting today (as the Romans did), all y'all have only three days left in which to get your ESSAYS in and have a crack at winning a prize!

 

G.O, Cos.

 

It is indeed '3 before the Ides' as I call it. As for the essays - I have to confess that your edict, O, Dive, has stirred old passions within me. I am less concerned with winning a prize, however, than with the joy of taking part. God - that is so British of me!

 

As for the Roman New Year starting in March - I have not researched this deeply but it would stand to sense as being named after Mars, after all! Plus, the sowing of seeds (remember that when Julius altered the calendar he altered the seasons too) would have originally fallen under Mars' aegis, as to the ancient Italians he was an agricultural god before he was the God of War. Just a thought - I claim no authority.

 

 

 

Any comments about my thought that the original New Year began on our March 21st?

 

Makes sense; it's the start of spring, to signify the start of a new growing year. Although how would this fit in with sowing of seeds...wouldn't that be done often during winter?

 

 

Doc - see my comment to GO above - March before Julius' reforms would have been more of a winter month.

[Gaius Octavius]

[quote name='The Augusta' date='Mar 13 2007, 03:00 PM' post='58390'

...(remember that when Julius altered the calendar he altered the seasons too)....

 

That is the nature of we gods.