Mercedoniusとは 意味・読み方・使い方

Mercedonius, also known as Intercalaris, was the intercalary month added in leap years of the Roman calendar. The resulting year was either 377 or 378 days long. The exact mechanism by which this was done is not clearly specified in ancient sources. It is generally held by modern scholars that Februarius was truncated to 23 or 24 days, to be followed by an intercalary month of 27 days. Earlier scholars such as Ideler held the view that in intercalary years February's length was fixed at 23 days and it was followed by a variable length mensis intercalaris with 27 or 28 days. Whatever the details, the five days a.d. VI Kal. Mart. to Prid. Kal. Mart., normally located at the end of February, are the concluding days of the mensis intercalaris in intercalary years. As a result, the year was lengthened by a total of 22 or 23 days. Romans believed that the month had been added to the Roman calendar, along with Ianuarius and Februarius, by King Numa Pompilius in the 7th century BC. The name Mercedonius comes from merces, meaning wages, as workers were paid at that time of year.