Keeping up with Time!
In some countries workers enjoy a thirty-day vacation, in others people are happy if they get two weeks. Well, the Romans had two cold months when people did not work.
So, even though they had twelve months in a year, they only named the active months, March through December. Then Julius Caesar adopted the Julian calendar and January and February were added at the end. After Caesar’s death in 44 BC the month Quintilis was renamed July in his honor. and in the year 8 BC – Sextilis was renamed August in honor of Roman Emperor Augustus.
Much, much later in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a number of reforms to the Julian calendar, as we read in the previous post, ensuring that the dates of the equinoxes and solstices—the date of Easter—once again lined up with their observed dates.
The Names of the Months.
January.– Janus Roman god with two faces, one looking into the past, the other into the future.
February.- Latin word februa, “to cleanse.” for Februalia, a festival of purification and atonement.
March.- Mars Roman god of war, and agriculture: Mars.
April.- From the Latin word aperio, to open bud, to bloom.
May.- Maia, Roman earth goddess Also maiores, “elders,” who were celebrated during this month.
June.- Juno, Roman goddess patroness of marriage and the well-being of women. Also juvenis, “young people.”
July.- In honor of Julius Caesar 44 BC, who’s implemented Sosigenes’ calendar a,k.a the Julian calendar.
August.- For Augustus Caesar first Roman emperor; from the Latin word “augustus,” meaning venerable, noble, and majestic.
September.- Septem, the seventh month of the early Roman calendar.
October.- Octo, the eighth month of the early Roman calendar.
November.- Novem, the ninth month of the early Roman calendar.
December.- Decem, the tenth month of the early Roman calendar.
The Names of the Days of the Week.
The names were chosen by the ancient Romans, who used the Latin words for the Sun, the Moon, and the five known planets! Our English names reflect the influence of the Anglo-Saxons and other Germanic peoples.
Sunday.-Sun’s day from the Saxon Sunnandaeg .. Later changed to “domenica” (from the Latin for “Lord’s day”)
Monday.- Monandaeg. Moon’s day in Saxon. Luna’s day. Luna was an ancient Roman moon goddess.)”Lunadi” in Latin.
Tuesday.-Tiwesdaeg
Tiw or Týr, the Norse god of single combat, law and justice. Mars, Roman God of War.
Wednesday.-Wodnesdaeg -Wōden, or Odin, was the ruler of the Norse gods’. Mercury, the Roman God and Messanger.
Thursday.- Thor’s day. Thor was a Norse god of thunder, lightning, and storms. Jupiter, the Roman God of thunder and Lightning.
Friday.-Friggadaeg day. Frigg Norse goddess of marriage, and fertility. Venus, the Roman goddess of Love.
Saturday.- “Sæturnesdæg,” which translates to Saturn’s day. Roman god of fun and feasting. ” Sabbath” in Latin.
Children Books you might want to read.
Find more books on Astronymy, Astrology, Mythology and Physics in the provious post about ”