HKB
16th of April; the equinox was passed 21 days before, and the atmospheric disturbances might still last. Or was it anything else than an excuse on the part of Cicero?
Cæsar embarks at Brundusium on the eve of the Nones of January, 706. (De Bello Civili, III. 6.) It is the 28th of November, 49 B.C. “Gravis autumnus in Apulio circumque Brundusium ... omnem exercitum valetudine tentaverat.” (De Bello Civili, III. 2, 6.)--“Bibulus gravissima hieme in navibus excubabat.” (De Bello Civili, III. 8.)--“Jamque hiems appropinquabat.” (De Bello Civili, III. 9.)
After his arrival at Rome towards the end of the year 707, Cæsar started again for the African war. It was only on his return towards the middle of the year 708, that he could devote himself to the re-organisation of the Republic and the reform of the calendar. According to Dio Cassius (XLIII. 26), “as the days of the year did not concord well together, Cæsar introduced the present manner of reckoning, by intercalating 67 days necessary to restore the concordance. Some authors have pretended that he intercalated more; but this is the truth.”[936]
What concordance was it that required to be established thus? The 67 days necessary were exactly what required to be added that, in the secular year of Rome 700, the Julian month of March should coincide with the ancient Roman month of March. The month of March of the year 700 of Rome is the true starting-point of the Julian style.
--+-------------------------------------------------------- D | a | y | JULIAN YEAR 64 BEFORE CHRIST. s | |-------------------------------------------------------- o | | | | f | | | | | | | | t | | | | h | SEPTEMBER. | OCTOBER. | NOVEMBER. | DECEMBER. e | | | | | | | | J | | | | u | | | | l | YEAR OF ROME. i | | | | a | | | | n | | | | | | | | M | | | | o | | | | n | | | | t | 690 | 690 | 690 | 690-691 h | | | | s | | | | . | | | | --+------------+--------------+-------------+------------- 1|XVI Kal.Oct.|XVII Kal. Nov.|XV Kal. Dec. |XIV Kal. Jan. 2|XV |XVI |XIV |XIII 3|XIV |XV |XIII |XII 4|XIII |XIV |XII |XI 5|XII |XIII |XI |X | | | | 6|XI |XII |X |IX 7|X |XI |IX |VIII 8|IX |X |VIII |VII 9|VIII |IX |VII |VI 10|VII |VIII |VI |V | | | | 11|VI |VII |V |IV 12|V |VI |IV |III 13|IV |V |III |Pridie 14|III |IV |Pridie |------------- | | |-------------| KAL. JAN. 15|Pridie |III | KAL. DEC. |IV Nonas |------------| | | 16| KAL. OCT. |Pridie |IV Nonas |III | |--------------| | 17|VI Nonas | KAL. NOV. |III |Pridie 18|V |IV Nonas |Pridie | Nonæ 19|IV |III | Nonæ |VIII Idus 20|III |Pridie |VIII Idus |VII | | | | 21|Pridie |Nonæ |VII |VI 22|Nonæ |VIII Idus |VI |V 23|VIII Idus |VII |V |IV 24|VII |VI |IV |III 25|VI |V |III |Pridie | | | | 26|V |IV |Pridie |Idus 27|IV |III | Idus |XVII Kal.Feb. 28|III |Pridie |XVII Kal.Jan.|XVI 29|Pridie | Idus |XVI |XV 30| Idus |XVII Kal. Dec.|XV |XIV | | | | 31| |XVI | |XIII