Some Calendar Months Are Named After Roman Emperors

Our modern calendar months have a rich history rooted in ancient Rome. The original Roman calendar had only ten months. It started with Martius, named after Mars, the god of war.

The early calendar included months named for deities and Roman culture. Later months were simply numbered. Quintilis was the fifth month, Sixtilis the sixth, and so on.

King Numa Pompilius later added January and February to the start of the year. This created the 12-month Roman calendar used for centuries.

Julius Caesar reformed this calendar, creating the Julian calendar. It formed the basis for our current Gregorian calendar. Along the way, several months were renamed to honor notable Roman emperors.

The Roman calendar’s evolution reveals ancient cultural values. It shows the importance of gods, emperors, and agricultural rhythms. These names have shaped how we perceive time today.

Key Takeaways

• The modern month names originated from the ancient Roman calendar
• Early Roman months were named after gods, festivals, and numbers
• January and February were later additions to the original 10-month calendar
• Some months were renamed to honor influential Roman emperors
• The Roman calendar evolved into the Julian and Gregorian calendars we use today

The Ancient Roman Calendar

Ancient Rome used a lunisolar calendar with 304 days divided into 10 months. This pre-Julian calendar left the winter period unassigned. Romulus, Rome’s legendary founder, created this calendar.

Numa Pompilius, Rome’s second king, later revised it. He added January and February to align it better with the solar year.

To maintain accuracy, the calendar needed periodic intercalation. This meant adding extra days or months to sync with the seasons. However, intercalation wasn’t always consistent.

The pontifex maximus, Rome’s high priest, was responsible for intercalation. Political issues often interfered with regular adjustments. This caused the calendar to drift from the solar year.

Over time, the Roman calendar became unreliable. This problem led to the need for further reforms. These changes aimed to improve the calendar’s accuracy and consistency.

Origins of the Months’ Names

The modern calendar’s month names have fascinating origins. Many are tied to ancient Roman deities, festivals, and emperors. January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions.

Janus was often shown with two faces. One looked to the past, the other to the future. This symbolized the start of a new year.

February comes from the Latin word februa. It refers to an ancient purification festival. March honors Mars, the Roman god of war.

April‘s origin is less certain. Some link it to aperio, meaning “to open,” referring to spring buds. Others connect it to Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

May is named for Maia, a nurturing earth goddess. June honors Juno, the patroness of marriage and women. July and August celebrate Roman emperors Julius Caesar and Augustus.

The last four months come from Latin numbers. September means seven, October eight, November nine, and December ten. These were their positions in the early Roman calendar.

Later reforms shifted these months to their current spots. They became the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th months we know today.

Roman Emperor Month Names

Roman emperors changed month names to honor themselves. Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar are famous examples. In 44 BC, Quintilis became July for Julius Caesar’s birth month.

In 8 BC, Sextilis became August for Emperor Augustus. It celebrated his first consulship and Egypt’s conquest. These changes showed the rulers’ power and influence. This period also saw a fascinating evolution of entertainment, with the emergence of female gladiators in ancient Rome, who captivated audiences with their bravery and skill in the arena. Their presence challenged traditional gender roles and highlighted the complexities of Roman society, where power dynamics were constantly shifting. As Augustus solidified his reign, he also utilized such spectacles to reinforce his authority and connect with the populace.

Other emperors tried to rename months too. Domitian changed September to Germanicus and October to Domitianus. These changes didn’t last and were later reversed. Similarly, efforts to alter the calendar were not limited to Rome; various cultures throughout history have attempted to reorganize their timekeeping systems. In the case of Australia, the region was once referred to as ‘Australia’s historical name New Holland,’ reflecting the European perspective during the age of exploration. However, like the month renamings of Domitian, these names evolved and changed over time, adapting to the cultural shifts and identities that emerged with colonial expansion.

Commodus renamed all twelve months with his imperial titles. He called January Amazonius and October Herculeus. These changes were short-lived and undone after his death.

July and August remain as tributes to Julius and Augustus Caesar. Other emperors’ attempts to change the calendar didn’t last. These stories show how power can be fleeting.

They also reveal the importance of leaving a meaningful legacy. These tales offer a glimpse into ancient Rome’s politics and time measurement.

The Julian and Gregorian Calendar Reforms

Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar in 46 BC. It was a solar calendar with 365.25 days and a leap year every four years. However, priests misinterpreted the rules, adding leap days every three years instead.

Augustus corrected this error by suspending leap days until the calendar realigned. Still, the Julian year was slightly longer than the solar year. This caused Easter’s date to shift gradually over time.

By the 16th century, the discrepancy became significant enough for reform. Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582. It refined the Julian calendar by adjusting leap year rules.

The Gregorian calendar omits leap years in years divisible by 100 but not by 400. This change brought the calendar year closer to the solar year. It ensured that seasons and religious holidays remained stable over time.

Today, the Gregorian calendar is the most widely used civil calendar worldwide. Its precise calculations have made it the standard for timekeeping around the globe.