Roman calendar

Roman Calendar

The Roman calendar (pronounced: /ˈroʊmən ˈkæləndər/) was the calendar used by the Roman kingdom and republic. It is often inclusive of Julian and Gregorian calendars established by Julius Caesar and Pope Gregory XIII respectively.

Etymology

The term "Roman Calendar" is derived from the Latin word Calendarium which means "account book". The name is a reference to the first day of each month (calends) when debtors had to pay their debts.

History

The Roman calendar originally began with March and consisted of 10 months, with 304 days, winter being considered a month-less period. The months were Martius (31 days), Aprilis (30 days), Maius (31 days), Iunius (30 days), Quintilis (31 days), Sextilis (30 days), September (30 days), October (31 days), November (30 days), and December (30 days).

Julian Calendar

The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, which was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on 1 January 45 BC (AUC 709), by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and Greek astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandria.

Gregorian Calendar

The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a minor modification of the Julian calendar, reducing the average year from 365.25 days to 365.2425 days, and adjusting for the drift in the 'tropical' or 'solar' year that the inaccuracy had caused during the intervening centuries.

Related Terms

• Julian calendar
• Gregorian calendar
• Martius
• Aprilis
• Maius
• Iunius
• Quintilis
• Sextilis
• September
• October
• November
• December

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