For example, Varro refers the foundation of Rome to the 21st of April of the third year of the sixth Olympiad, and it is required to find the year before our era. Since five Olympic periods have elapsed, the third year of the sixth Olympiad is 5 × 4 + 3 = 23; therefore, subtracting 23 from 776, we have 753, which is the year before Christ to which the foundation of Rome is referred by Varro.
2d, When the event took place between the summer
solstice and the 1st of January following, the sum of the
Olympic year and of the year before Christ is equal to 777.
The difference therefore between 777 and the year in one
of the dates will give the year in the other date. Thus,
the moon was eclipsed on the 27th of August, a little
before midnight, in the year 413 before our era; and it is
required to find the corresponding year in the Olympic era.
Subtract 413 from 777, the remainder is 364; and 364
divided by four gives 91 without a remainder; consequently the eclipse happened in the fourth year of the
ninety-first Olympiad, which is the date to which it is
referred by Thucydides.
If the year is after Christ, and the event took place in
one of the first six months of the Olympic year, that is to
say, between July and January, we must subtract 776
from the number of the Olympic year to find the corresponding year of our era; but if it took place in one of
the last six months of the Olympic year, or between
January and July, we must deduct 777. The computation
by Olympiads seldom occurs in historical records after the
middle of the 5th century of our era.
The names of the months were different in the different
Grecian states. The Attic months, of which we possess
the most certain knowledge, were named as follows:—
| Hecatombæon. | | Gamelion. |
| Metageitnion. | Anthesterion. | |
| Boedromion. | Elaphebolion. | |
| Pyanepsion. | Munychion. | |
| Mæmacterion. | Thargelion. | |
| Poseideon. | Scirophorion. |
Era of the Foundation of Rome.
After the Olympiads, the era most frequently met with
in ancient history is that of the foundation of Rome, which
is the chronological epoch adopted by all the Roman
historians. There are various opinions respecting the year
of the foundation of Rome.
1st, Fabius Pictor places this event in the latter half of the
first year of the eighth Olympiad, which corresponds with
the 3967th of the Julian period, and with the year 747 B.C.
2d, Polybius places it in the second year of the seventh
Olympiad, corresponding with 3964 of the Julian period,
and 750 B.C.
3d, M. Porcius Cato places it in the first year of the
seventh Olympiad, that is, in 3963 of the Julian period,
and 751 B.C.
4th, Verrius Flaccus places it in the fourth year of the
sixth Olympiad, that is, in the year 3962 of the Julian
period, and 752 B.C.
5th, Terentius Varro places it in the third year of the
sixth Olympiad, that is, in the year 3961 of the Julian
period, and 753 B.C.
A knowledge of these different computations is necessary,
in order to reconcile the Roman historians with one another,
and even any one writer with himself. Livy in general
adheres to the epoch of Cato, though he sometimes follows
that of Fabius Pictor. Cicero follows the account of
Varro, which is also in general adopted by Pliny. Dionysius
of Halicarnassus follows Cato. Modern chronologers for
the most part adopt the account of Varro, which is
supported by a passage in Censorinus, where it is stated
that the 991st year of Rome commenced with the festival
of the Palilia, in the consulship of Ulpius and Pontianus.
Now this consulship corresponded with the 238th year of
our era; therefore, deducting 238 from 991, we have 753
to denote the year before Christ. The Palilia commenced
on the 21st of April; and all the accounts agree in regarding that day as the epoch of the foundation of Rome.
The Romans employed two sorts of years, the civil year,
which was used in the transaction of public and private
affairs, and the consular year, according to which the annals
of their history have been composed. The civil year commenced with the calends of January, but this did not hold
a fixed place in the solar year till the time of Julius Cæsar
(see vol. iv. p. 666.) The installation of the consuls regulated the commencement of the consular year. The initial
day of the consulate was never fixed, at least before the
7th century of Rome, but varied with the different accidents which in times of political commotion so frequently
occurred to accelerate or retard the elections. Hence it
happens that a consular year, generally speaking, comprehends a part not only of two Julian years, but also of two civil years. The consulate is the date employed by
the Latin historians generally, and by many of the Greeks,
down to the 6th century of our era.
In the era of Rome the commencement of the year is
placed at the 21st of April; an event therefore which
happened in the months of January, February, March, or
during the first twenty days of April, in the year (for
example) 500 of Rome, belongs to the civil year 501.
Before the time of the Decemvirs, however, February was
the last month of the year. Many authors confound the
year of Rome with the civil year, supposing them both to
begin on the 1st of January. Others again confound both
the year of Rome and the civil year with the Julian year,
which in fact became the civil year after the regulation of
the calendar by Julius Cæsar. Through a like want of
attention, many writers also, particularly among the
moderns, have confounded the Julian and Olympic years,
by making an entire Julian year correspond to an entire
Olympic year, as if both had commenced at the same
epoch. Much attention to these particulars is required in
the comparison of ancient dates.
The Christian Era.
The Christian or vulgar era, called also the era of the
Incarnation, is now almost universally employed in
Christian countries, and is even used by some Eastern
nations. Its epoch or commencement is the 1st of January
in the fourth year of the 194th Olympiad, the 753d from
the foundation of Rome, and the 4714th of the Julian
period. It is usually supposed to begin with the year of
the birth of Christ, but there are various opinions with
regard to the year in which that event took place. This
epoch was introduced in Italy in the 6th century, by
Dionysius the Little, a Roman abbot, and began to be
used in Gaul in the 8th, though it was not generally
followed in that country till a century later. From extant
charters it is known to have been in use in England before
the close of the 8th century. Before its adoption the usual
practice in Latin countries was to distinguish the years by
their number in the cycle of Indiction.
