Single Malts - and other odd Musings

Idus Martiae

La Morte di Cesare (1798) by Vincenzo Camuccini






The Roman calendar organized its months around three days, each of which served as a reference point for counting the other days:
  • Kalends (1st day of the month)
  • Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months)
  • Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months)
The remaining, unnamed days of the month were identified by counting backwards from the Kalends, Nones, or the Ides. For example, March 3 would be V Nones—5 days before the Nones (the Roman method of counting days was inclusive; in other words, the Nones would be counted as one of the 5 days).

Days in March

    March 1: Kalends;
    March 2: VI Nones;
    March 3: V Nones;
    March 4: IV Nones;
    March 5: III Nones;
    March 6: Pridie Nones (Latin for "on the day before");
    March 7: Nones;
    March 15: Ides

No comments:

Post a Comment