Expert: Maria - 1/23/2009

Question
How do you write January 23, 2009 in latin

Answer
Hello,

January 23, 2009 corresponds to:

-“A.D.X KAL.FEB. MMIX (shortened date)

-“Ante Diem Decimum Kalendas Februarias anno bis millesimo nono post Christum Natum”(full date in Roman style,  meaning  “the 10th day before the Kalends of February in the year 2009 after the birth of Christ”).

Anyway in classical Latin such a date would be as follows:

-“A.D.X KAL.FEB. MMDCCLXII A.U.C. “

-“Ante Diem Decimum Kalendas Februarias anno bis millesimo septingentesimo sexagesimo secundo Ab Urbe Condita”
(“the 10th day before the Kalends of February in the year 2762 from the founding of the City of Rome)”. Rome in fact was founded in 753 BC and then 2009+753= 2762)

Best,
Maria
__________________________________________________________________
Note that  in the Roman calendar only three days  of each month had specific names.

Here are these special dates:

-Kalends (Latin KALENDAE) which fell always on the 1st. day  of the month.

-Nones  (Latin NONAE) which fell usually on the 5th day, except March, May, July and October, when they fell on the 7th.

-Ides (Latin IDUS ) which fell usually on the 13th, except March, May, July  and October, when they fell on the 15th.

If it was not one of these special days, the Romans counted how many days  there were before the next special day.

For example the date January 23 corresponds to 10 days before the Kalends, i.e. before February 1, since the Romans used an inclusive counting and  then counted every day from January 23  to  February 1 (Kalends),  i.e. 23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,1.

Finally, when the date was the day before or after  the Kalends, Nones and Ides, the Romans  used the preposition ‘pridie’ (meaning “the day before” ) or “postridie” (meaning “the day after”) followed by the accusative case.

For example “Pridie Kalendas Februarias” for January 31, as 31 was the day before the Kalends  which fell on February 1.