Latin Dates
Latin is an ancient language that was used in the Roman Empire. One of the common uses of Latin was for noting dates. In this course, we will learn to read and write dates in Latin.
The Days of the Week
Before we start talking about dates in Latin, it is important to know the days of the week in Latin. Here is the list of the days of the week in Latin:
Definition
Dies Solis
The day of the Sun (Sunday)
Dies Lunae
The day of the Moon (Monday)
Dies Martis
The day of Mars (Tuesday)
Dies Mercurii
The day of Mercury (Wednesday)
Dies Iovis
The day of Jupiter (Thursday)
Dies Veneris
The day of Venus (Friday)
Dies Saturni
The day of Saturn (Saturday)
Now that we know the days of the week in Latin, we can move on to the dates themselves.
Writing Dates in Latin
In Latin, dates are generally written using the following format:
Definition
Day/Month/Year
For example: 15/03/2022
The day is written in Roman numerals, the month in Latin numerals, and the year in Arabic numerals. Here is the list of months in Latin:
Definition
Ianuarius
January
Februarius
February
Martius
March
Aprilis
April
Maius
May
Iunius
June
Quintilis
July (old name of July)
Sextilis
August (old name of August)
September
September
October
October
November
November
December
December
Now that we know the months in Latin, we can form a complete date using this information.
Examples of Dates in Latin
Here are some examples of dates in Latin:
Definition
VIII/I/2023
8 January 2023
XXVII/XII/2024
27 December 2024
XV/IV/2025
15 April 2025
It is important to note that the Romans used a different calendar with specific months and days. Therefore, Roman dates do not correspond exactly to the dates of the Gregorian calendar that we use today.
To remember:
In conclusion, Latin dates are composed of the day, month, and year, written respectively in Roman numerals, Latin numerals, and Arabic numerals. It is important to know the days of the week and the months in Latin to understand and interpret dates in Latin.
