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9.1.3.8
The Augustan Correction |
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Following the death of Julius, the pontifices promptly screwed up the application of the Julian leap year rule, adding a leap year every three years instead of the mandated four. The Roman system of inclusive counting may have confused the instructions of Sosigenes, but it is difficult to conceive of any other explanation than truly monumental stupidity for this blunder. Augustus was forced to declare a moratorium on leap years from 5 B.C. to A.D. 8 to correct this error. The Julian calendar, then, can be said to operate with regularity from an effective date of A.D. 8. |
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9.1.3.9
The Physical Structure of Roman Calendars |
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At this point I should discuss the physical structure of a Roman calendar. The same general structure was preserved for about six centuries, although certain details were changed. |
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A Roman calendar was basically a list of festivals and anniversary dates. Of primary importance in the original calendar structure was the issue of whether it was fas or "right" in the divine sense to do legal business in the assembly. The right days were dies fasti. The Romans themselves referred to their calendars as fasti. The term calendar is of later origin. |
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In the fasti, each month occupies one column. The name of the month is written at the top. The days of the months are written vertically under the name. Most calendars contain at least three columns for each month. |
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At the extreme left is a column of letters, A through H, the "nundials", designating the days of the traditional market week. In the next column to the right, one finds the name of the day, which is either the festival name or the Kalends, Nones or Ides. The name may be omitted for some days. |
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Following the name of the day is another column of letters, which designate the legal and divine nature of the day. These letters are: |
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F fastus dies, a day on which it is right to do business in the comitia (assembly) and praetor's court. |
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N nefastus dies, a day on which it is wrong to conduct such business. |
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NP nefastus parte, a day of which part is wrong for the transaction of business. |
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FP fastus principio, a day at the beginning of which it is right to conduct business. |
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EN endotercisus or intercisus dies, a day of which there are three parts, and on which legal business may be conducted only in the middle third. |
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C comitialis dies, a day when the comitia meets. |
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