Someone asked an interesting question yesterday: "Why does the "new year" begin in January? Wouldn't it be better to start the new year in the spring? Or the fall? When I tried to explain that it was tied to the calendar, we began to wonder how the months were named. For example, "Sept"ember--shouldn't it be the 7th month, with "Oct"ober the 8th month, "Nov"ember the 9th month, and "Dec"ember the 10th month?

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
...For example, "Sept"ember--shouldn't it be the 7th month, with "Oct"ober the 8th month, "Nov"ember the 9th month, and "Dec"ember the 10th month?

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When they took those names, September was the 7th month, October the 8th and so on. Two months were added to the list (I believe they were June, named for Julius Ceasar, and August, named for Augustus Ceasar, but I can't recall the full story offhand and am too lazy at present to google it out) which bumped all the autumn and winter months back two places. By all rights, September should have been renamed November and November should have been renamed whatever the Latin is for Elevenber but they weren't.

I distinctly recall bringing up this exact point during a previous reincarnation but, being a galley slave at that time, my opinions carried little weight.

they were June, named for Julius
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Uh, you meant to say July, didn't you, CJ?

Interesting. Does anyone know where I can find more on this? When there were 10 months, approximately where did the new year fall?

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Uh, you meant to say July, didn't you, CJ?

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Uh, well, yes, I did. June, July, whatever.

My fault. I was confusing Julius Ceasar with June Cleaver, an honest mistake for a galley slave.

This site gives a history of the calendar. "It had ten months ... beginning in March. Two more months, January and February, were soon added. ... It was the Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar, who, in 46 BC, unified time across the Roman Empire and gave the world the basis of its modern calendar. ... After he was assinated, the fifth month was renamed 'Julius' in his honour ... when Augustus Caesar succeeded Julius, the Senate renamed the sixth month in Augustus' honour..."

It's my understanding that February, July and August each were originally 30-day months; that Julius Caesar took one day from February to add to his month; and that Augustus Caesar took a second day from February for his month.

The site noted above confirms the latter taking, but not the former.

I was confusing Julius Ceasar with June Cleaver, an honest mistake for a
galley slave.
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June Cleavage? And didn't her son have a very painful name? (Beaver Cleaver) Hmm... Come to think about it, that could also be a very romantic name! I thought that the galley slaves were on Rowin' and Martin's Laugh In.

Asa, confused as ever...