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The months of the roman calendar
Cippo's calendar of the type used by peasants with representation of the signs of the zodiac (Rome, museum of Roman civilization)
Complete list of the months belonging to the calendar of the ancient Romans, from which the months still in use today are derived:
- Ianuarius: it was sacred to Janus, the god who protected everything that was going to start, in this case the new year;
- Februarius: his name derives from februa, the festivals of purification;
- Martius: was sacred to Mars, god of war;
- Aprilis: it was sacred to Venus, and was so called because in this month nature opens to flowering and new life;
- Maius: was sacred to Maia, goddess of vegetation;
- Iunius: was sacred to Juno, goddess of prosperity;
- Quintilis: it was the fifth month of the ancient calendar; then became Iulius in honor of Julius Caesar;
- Sextilis: it was the sixth month of the ancient calendar; then became Augustus in honor of Augustus;
- September: it was so called because in ancient times it was the seventh month of the year;
- October: in ancient times it was the eighth month of the year;
- November: it was, in the ancient calendar, the ninth month of the year;
- December: was the tenth month of the year in the ancient calendar.
As for the days of the month, there were three that had a particular name:
- Kalendae (= the Kalends) was the first day of the month;
- Nonae (= the None) was the 5th of the month;
- Idus (= the Ides) was the 13th of the month.
The months of March, May, July and October were an exception, in which the None fell on the 7th and the Ides on the 15th, that is, two days later than in the other months.
All other days of the month were named after these three. For example, to indicate an event that occurred on May 19, the expression die quarto tenth ante Kalendas Iunias was used, or ante diem quartum decimum Kalendas Iunias (= on the fourteenth day before the calends of June).
