Tagged: Roman Empire

Smarch Calendar 3

The Lost Month of Mercedonius

We take it for granted that there are twelve months in the year, but this has not always been the case. The Roman-derived calendar that we use today has had anywhere from ten to...

Big Ben Clock Face with Roman Numerals 3

The Fall of Roman Numerals

Have you noticed that no one uses Roman Numerals anymore? Copyrights and Clocks If you watch a movie from the mid-20th century, at the end of the credits, you’ll see something like “© MCMLXIII”....

Lost Letters - Claudian Letters 8

Lost Letters: The Claudian Letters

Last week, we looked at some of the letters dropped from the Greek Alphabet — letters that never even made it into Latin. This week, we’ll look at the Claudian Letters, three new letters...

Emperor Constantine Selling Brawndo Sports Drinks 7

Idiocracy and the Fall of Rome

In Mike Judge’s movie “Idiocracy”, an average man from the 21st century wakes up 500 years in the future, only to find that he’s the smartest man in the world. This is based on...

Caesar Augustus 3

The Pontiff: Older Than Jesus

Everyone knows the Pope is old, but so is the office. The Papacy traces its roots back to St. Peter himself, but it turns out the institute is even older than that. In fact,...