Page:The New Latin Primer (Postgate).djvu/216

202 § 460. The Romans had the same months, and the same number of days in each as we have. But their reckoning was backward and inclusive, that is, they counted in the day reckoned from as well as the day reckoned to. Thus they reckoned the 29th of April as the third day before the 1st of May.

The days from which they reckoned were called— Kălendae (Kal.) f. Calends, the 1st of the month. Nōnae (Non.) f. Nones, usually the 5th. Idūs (Id.) f. Ides, usunlly the 13th. But—In March, July, October, May, The Ides fell on the fifteenth day, and consequently the Nones on the 7th day of the month.

The Nōnae were so called because, in Roman reckoning, they were the ninth day before the Ides.

The months were called—Iānuārius, Fēbruarius, Mārtius, Aprīlius, Māius, Iūnius, Quīnctīlis July, Sextilis August, September, Octōber, Nŏvember, Dĕcember : used either as Masc. Nouns, mēnsis month being understood, or as Adjectives agreeing with Kaiendae, etc.

The Romans indicated the days of the months as follows:

I. The days on which the Calends, Nones, and Ides fell, by the Ablatives Kalendis, Nōnīs, Idibus, and the name of the month agreeing with them, as Nōnīs Mārtīs on the Nones of March, i.e., March 7.

II. The days preceding the Calends, etc., by prefixing prīdiē the day before to the Accusatives Kalendās, etc., and the name of the month agreeing with them, as prīdiē Nōnās Mārtiās the day before the Nones of March, i.e., March 6.

III. All other days by prefixing antĕ diem tertium, quartum, etc., to the Accusatives Kalendās, etc., and the name of the month agreeing with them, as under II. : ante diem tertium Nōnās Mārtiās the second day (third in inclusive reckoning) before the Nones of March, i.e., March 5.

Abbreviations and Numerals were generally used in expressing the date, thus :

a. d. III Non. Mart., March 5. prid. Kal. Ian., December 31. a. d. VIII Id. Quinct.,July 8.

{{smaller|In leap year a day was inserted after February 24 (a. d. sextum Kal. Mart.), and called a. d. bis sextum Kal. Mart., whence leap year was called bissextilis. This day was not taken account of in reckoning the other days of the month.

'The Year.—The Romans named the year after the Consuls, as:— B.C. 44 Antōnīō Dolābellā Cos. (cōnsulibus). Later the supposed date of the founding of Rome, B.C. 753, was used to reckon from. Thus, "78 A.D." may be expressed as A(nno) U(rbis) C(onditae) {{hws|octingen|octingentēnsimo}} {{smallrefs}}