RAY GLEASON

During the life of Gaius Marius Insubrecus, the traditional twelve months of the Roman year based on Caesar’s reform of the calendar were named Ianuarius, Februarius, Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Iunius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, December Quintilis, the birth month of Gaius Iulius Caesar, was renamed Iulius in his honor in 44 BCE, the year…

The first thing to know about the Roman week is there wasn’t one. During Insubrecus’ times the Romans recognized nundinae, “market days,” which were like a modern one-day weekend during which certain social classes could rest from work. The nundinae were originally market days when farmers brought goods into a settlement; think of modern weekend…

During the late Roman Republic, the consular term began with the first day of the Roman year, 1 January. The years themselves were identified with the consuls in office. For example, in the first book of his Gallic Wars, Caesar dates Orgetorix’ conspiracy among the Helvetians saying, “M Messala et M Pisone consulibus regni cupiditate…

During the late Roman Republic, the length of the Roman year and its alignment with the seasons were, as a Roman muli in the legions would say, perfututi… totally screwed up. In theory, the Roman calendar in use at that time was developed during the reign of the legendary second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius,…

Naming Conventions for Males “THREE NAME CONVENTION (TRIA NOMINA).” Anyone who’s watched a “sand and sandal” flic, like Gladiator, is familiar with this concept; most Romans had three names, such as “Gaius Iulius Caesar.”  The components of the TRIA NOMINA were PRENOMEN, “Gaius”; NOMEN, “Iulius”; and COGNOMEN, “Caesar.” Think of the three names as “First…

The Roman legion (LEGIO, sing.; LEGIONES, pl.) was the largest formal military unit of the Roman army during Insubrecus’ time. Theoretically, the legion comprised part of a professional army and was composed of Roman citizens serving minimum six-year hitches. In late Republican and early principate times, a full-strength legion was comprised of 4,800 infantry and…