Why the ancient Roman calendar required an extra month to stay on track
In short: Before the Julian calendar, keeping time was a precarious task. This video explores the complex mechanics of the 355-day Roman calendar and the periodic adjustments used to align human time with the sun.
Long before Julius Caesar, Roman datekeeping relied on a 355-day calendar that struggled to match the Earth's orbit. To correct this discrepancy, a four-year cycle was employed where every second year included an additional month known as the Mensis intercalaris.
This intercalary period, inserted between February (Februarius) and March (Martius), added approximately 22 or 23 days to the year. To balance the addition, five days were subtracted from February during these specific years.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How January 1st Became the New Year in Many Parts of the World
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