Months In The Roman Calendar

Introduction

The Roman calendar was used in ancient Rome and is believed to have been developed around 753 BC. It was used by the Romans until the end of the Roman Empire in 476 AD. The Roman calendar had 12 months and was based on the cycles of the moon. In this article, we will discuss the months in the Roman calendar and their significance.

The Months in the Roman Calendar

The Roman calendar had 12 months and each month had a different number of days. The months in the Roman calendar are as follows:

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

Question: How many days did each month have in the Roman calendar?

The number of days in each month of the Roman calendar varied. Some months had 31 days, while others had 29 or 30 days. The months of January, February, Quintilis (July), and October had 31 days. The months of April, June, September, and November had 30 days. The months of March, May, Sextilis (August), and December had 31 days in some years and 29 or 30 days in others.

The Significance of the Months in the Roman Calendar

The names of the months in the Roman calendar were derived from various sources such as gods, goddesses, and numbers. Each month had a different significance and was associated with different festivals, celebrations, and events.

Question: What were some of the festivals associated with the Roman calendar?

Some of the festivals associated with the Roman calendar include:

• The Saturnalia festival in December, which was a time of feasting and gift-giving.
• The Lupercalia festival in February, which was a fertility festival.
• The Floralia festival in May, which celebrated the goddess Flora and the arrival of spring.
• The Quinquatria festival in March, which was a festival of the arts and was dedicated to the goddess Minerva.

The Evolution of the Roman Calendar

The Roman calendar underwent several changes over the centuries. In 45 BC, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, which had 365 days in a year and an extra day every four years (leap year). This calendar was used until the 16th century when it was replaced by the Gregorian calendar.

Question: Why was the Julian calendar replaced by the Gregorian calendar?

The Julian calendar was replaced by the Gregorian calendar because it had an error of 11 minutes and 14 seconds per year, which caused the calendar to drift out of sync with the seasons over time. The Gregorian calendar corrected this error by omitting leap years in years that are divisible by 100 but not divisible by 400.

Conclusion

The months in the Roman calendar played an important role in ancient Rome and were associated with various festivals, celebrations, and events. The calendar underwent several changes over the centuries, and the Julian calendar was eventually replaced by the Gregorian calendar. Despite these changes, the months in the Roman calendar remain an important part of history and continue to be studied and celebrated today.