Why do Sep,Oct,Nov,Dec translate to 7,8,9,10 and where do the other month names originate?

Answer 1

To begin with it was a lunar calendar containing ten months, starting at the vernal equinox, traditionally invented by Romulus, the founder of Rome about 753 BC. However it seems to have been based on the Greek lunar calendar. The months at this time were

Martius (31 days)
Aprilis (30 days)
Maius (31 days)
Iunius (30 days)
Quintilis (31 days)
Sextilis (30 days)
September (30 days)
October (31 days)
November (30 days) and
December (30 days)
Thus the calendar year lasted 304 days and there were about 61 days of winter that did not fall within the calendar.

The first reform of the calendar was attributed to Numa Pompilius, the second of the seven traditional Kings of Rome. He is said to have reduced the 30-day months to 29 days and to have added January (29 days) and February (28 days) to the end of the calendar around 713 BC, and thus brought the length of the calendar year up to 355 days:

Martius (31 days)
Aprilis (29 days)
Maius (31 days)
Iunius (29 days)
Quintilis (31 days)
Sextilis (29 days)
September (29 days)
October (31 days)
November (29 days)
December (29 days)
Ianuarius (29 days)
Februarius (28 days)
In order to keep the calendar year roughly aligned with the solar year, a leap month of 27 days, the Mensis Intercalaris, sometimes also known as Mercedonius or Mercedinus, was added from time to time at the end of February, which was shortened to 23 or 24 days. The resulting year was either 377 or 378 days long. The decision to insert the intercalary month, and its placement, was the responsibility of the pontifex maximus. On average, this happened roughly in alternate years.

The system of aligning the year through intercalary months broke down at least twice. The first time was during and after the Second Punic War. It led to the reform of the Lex Acilia in 191 BC. The details of this reform are unclear, but it appears to have successfully regulated intercalation for over a century. The second breakdown was in the middle of the first century BC. This breakdown may have been related to the increasingly chaotic and adversarial nature of Roman politics at the time. The position of pontifex maximus was not a full-time job; it was held by a member of the Roman elite, who would almost invariably be involved in the machinations of Roman politics. Because a Roman calendar year defined the term of office of elected Roman magistrates, a pontifex maximus would have reason to lengthen a year in which he or his allies were in power, or to not lengthen a year in which his political opponents held office. It was only after Julius Caesar, who had been pontifex maximus for some years, seized absolute power that the calendar was overhauled, with the result being the Julian calendar.

The Romans later renamed months after Julius Caesar and Augustus, renaming Quintilis (originally, "the Fifth month", with March = month 1) as Iulius (July) in 44 BC and Sextilis ("Sixth month") as Augustus (August) in 8 BC. (Note that the letter J was not invented until the 16th century). Quintilis was renamed to honour Caesar because it was the month of his birth. According to a senatus consultum quoted by Macrobius, Sextilis was renamed to honour Augustus because several of the most significant events in his rise to power, culminating in the fall of Alexandria, fell in that month.

Answer 2

Oct Nov Dec

Answer 3

I believe January is from Janus, the Roman god, March from Mars the god. July and August were added after Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar (hence the numerical inconsistency - I believe Ethiopia may still use the 10 month Gregorian calendar). Not sure about the other months.

Answer 4

July and august were introduced in memory of julius and augustus caesar when the calendar was changed, this is why sep,oct,nov,dec translate to 7,8,9,10. they used to be the 7,8,9,10th months before the calendar was changed.

Answer 5

In Roman times, their calendar had 10 months and September, October, November, and December were the 7th through 10th months (from the Latin: septem (7), octem (8), novem (9), and decem (10). July and August were named after Julius and Augustus Caesar, which is why we have 12 months now. January was named after the god Janus, who had two faces, as January weather can be fickle. I don't remember where the other names came from.

Answer 6

The proceeding answers are not quite correct. The Romans originally had 10 named months, beginning with March and probably 2 unnamed in mid-winter, equating to January and February. These two month were named and added to the Roman calendar in 700BC by the 2nd King of Rome, Numa Pompilius. January is 'Janus's month', February 'Februa's month'. Februa was the Roman feast of Purification held in the middle of that month

Answer 7

Because in the ancient Roman calender..there only were 10 months...with sep,oct,nov e dec being the 7th,8th,9th and 10th

Answer 8

Roman Calendar

Answer 9

Old Roman calendar. Most months named after Roman Gods March - Mars. June - Juno etc.

Answer 10

When our calendar first came out, there were only 10 months, and March being the first month. September, October, November and December were the 7th, 8th, 9th an 10th months respectively.

As time went by, trhe calendar changed.

The other months were named after Roman Gods (March), Emporers (July) and festivals (April.. I think).