The Roman calendar, in particular the Julian form of the calendar during the reign of Caesar, was used as the basis for what is, globally, the most important calendar today. It evolved in a series of reforms and revolutions and many of its peculiar features, from the names of the months to the number of days, are still visible.

This book provides a definitive account of the history of the Roman calendar, offering new reconstructions of its development that demand serious revisions to previous accounts. * Examines the critical stages of the technical, political, and religious history of the Roman calendar * Provides a comprehensive historical and social contextualization of ancient calendars and chronicles * Highlights the unique characteristics which are still visible in the most dominant modern global calendar