The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-03-11
YEAR OF CONFUSION
" WAS THE LONGEST ON RECORD
AND HAD FIFTEEN MONTHS.

The way Julius Caesar Ia the Year
40 u. q. straiRhtened Out the Calen-
dar MuddIe-EcarIy Attempt 10 Ad.
just the Lunar Cycles.
The longest year In the worlds histo-
~ was q year that contained fifteen
months. The original cause that led
mp TO this was an early attempt to ad.
Just the lunar months which began
with each new moon In their relation to
the solar year. Twelve revolutions Of
the moon take 354 days. about eleven
days less than true year. The an
clients tried at first 10 correct this by
inserting, generally every other year,
O special lntercalary month, just as we
do an additional day in leap year. In
the Roman calendar, from which our
own has descended, these corrections
were always made at the end OF the
year. The earliest Roman year began
In March, as we see by the numerical
Latin names Of several OF our months
September lscven), October (eight)s No.
vember (nine), December (ten)-and we
still add our intercalary day In leap
year Just before the ancient New Years
day.
In time the months dropped their lu-
mar character and became Of irregular
length, varying from ihlrty-one days In
March 10 twenty eight In February.
The year had 1855 days. some ten days
less than a true year Later on the list
OF January became both the New Year
and the inauguration day Of the Ro-
man consuls. These chief magistrates
OF the Roman republic, unlike our pres
idents. were elected annually. so that
inauguration day then was more impor.
tant than II IL at Washington. since 1t
was actually the beginning OF a new
official or civil year each LIST Of Janu-
AIRY. The intercalary month was, how
ever, still inserted between February
and March, according to ancient Gus
tom. The insertion Of intercalary
months and all matters pertaining to
the calendar rested In ancient Rome
with the college OF pontltfs, which
formed the supreme priestly council,
the proper observance OF the festivals
OF the gods and other sacred days COM
ing especially within the domain Of re-
ligion But the pontifls, with their
chief, the pontlfex maximus, were too
often dominated by political consldera-
tons. In early times they were chosen
exclusively from the patrician families.
Their privilege OF inserting or emitting
the intercalary month gave them great
political power, which. politlcian-llke,
they used to the advantage Of their
own party and the injury Of the plebe-
ians. On personal grounds they capri.
dously heightened the year when their
friends held the chief magistracy and
shortened It when the opposition held
office ...
This practice at length involved the
calendar In such confusion that in Cice-
ros day II was three months ahead OF
true time, Thus the lst OF May fell In
bleak wintry weather at what was
properly about the 1st OF February,
while the LIST Of January came in the
fall season at what is now the begin
ming OF October. The ancient Romans
had to endure the irony Of dating their
letters In November when they were
trying TO bear up under the blazing
heat Of an Italian summer.
But In the year Il. c. I6 Rome's fore
most soldier, julius Caesar, was able
TO take the matter In hand. Among
the many honors received by this con-
qneror was the office OF pontifex max
linus. and as head OF the prlestly col
lege matters appertaining to the calen-
dar fell within his province. His sol
dier's system took up the muddle In
the calendar, which he Strengthened
out with his accustomed vigor To
imagine a modern parallel We should
have to suppose some one like Napo
leon on his elevation OF the consulship
or General Grant fresh from the civil
war and his election to the presidency
undertaking to correct confusion in
the calendar due to the mahlpulations
OF politicians,
Caesar called In the aid OF Sosigenes,
an Alexandrian astronomer, to rectify
the error and prevent it for the future,
II was In the year OF Rome T0S-i6
B. c.. according to our reckoning that
the revision took place. II Is said, al
though this point Is not quite certain,
that Caesar intended to fix the 1st of
January in the following year 700 (B
c. 45l on the winter solstice, the short
est day In the year. This arrangement
would have been as nearly perfect as
possible. far superior TO that which we
observe, in which New Year falls some
ten days after the solstlce and has no
reference to anything of natural
character IL Caesar had taken the
shortest day for the LIST Of January
he would have had II definitely fixed
landmark indicated by the movement
Of the earth itself us pre-eminently
the correct point Of time for this event,
FOR the sun sinks daily and the days
become shorter until Dec, 81 or
-, when, as II new born, the sun be-
gins again to mount the heavens and
the days to lengthen. The Roman