idie kalendas_, or the day next before the _kalends_ of
January--the day before that, or the thirtieth of December, _tertio
kalendas Januarii_, or the third day before the _kalends_ of January,
and so on to the thirteenth, when came the ides of December.

The day was either civil or natural; the civil day was from midnight to
midnight; the natural day was from the rising to the setting of the sun.

The use of clocks and watches was unknown to the Romans--nor was it till
four hundred and forty-seven years after the building of the city, that
the sun dial was introduced: about a century later, they first measured
time by a water machine, which served by night, as well as by day.

Their days were distinguished by the names of _festi_, _profesti_, and
_intercisi_. The _festi_ were dedicated to religious worship, the
_profesti_ were allotted to ordinary business, the days which served
partly for one and partly for the other were called _intercisi_, or half
holy days.

The manner of reckoning by weeks was not introduced until late in the
second century of the christian era: it was borrowed from the Egyptians,
and the days were named after the planets: thus, Sunday from the Sun,
Monday from the Moon, Tuesday from Mars, Wednesday from Mercury,
Thursday from Jupiter, Friday from Venus, Saturday from Saturn.

_A Table of the Kalends, Nones, and Ides._

Days of| Apr, June, | Jan, August, | March, May, |
Month. | Sept, Nov. | December. | July, Oct. | February.

1 Kalendae. Kalendae. Kalendae. Kalendae.
2 IV. Nonas. IV. Nonas VI. IV. Nonas.
3 III. III. V. III.
4 Pridie. Pridie. IV. Pridie.
5 Nonae. Nonae. III. Nonae.
6 VIII. Idus VIII. Idus. Pridie. VIII. Idus.
7 VII. VII. Nonae. VII.
8 VI. VI. VIII. Idus. VI.
9 V. V. VII. V.
10 IV. IV. VI. IV.
11 III. III. V. III.
12 Pridie. Pridie. IV. Pridie.
13 Idus. Idus. III. Idus.
14 XVIII. Kal. XIX. Kal. Pridie. XVI. Kal.
15 XVI