Have you ever paused to consider why September, derived from the Latin “septem” meaning seven, is actually the ninth month of the year? It’s a common calendar conundrum that piques the curiosity of many. The seemingly illogical naming of September, along with October, November, and December, stems from the fascinating history of the Roman calendar. To understand this numerical mismatch, we need to journey back to ancient Rome and explore the evolution of our modern-day calendar system.
To grasp why September holds the ninth position, we must first understand that the early Roman calendar was quite different from what we use today. Originally, the Roman year was believed to have begun in March, not January. This ancient calendar was attributed to Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, and consisted of only ten months. These months were:
- Martius (March) – named after Mars, the Roman god of war
- Aprilis (April) – possibly from “aperire,” meaning to open, referring to the opening of flowers in spring
- Maius (May) – named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth
- Iunius (June) – named for Juno, the Roman queen of the gods
- Quintilis (July) – originally the fifth month (quintus – fifth)
- Sextilis (August) – originally the sixth month (sextus – sixth)
- September – from “septem” (seven) – originally the seventh month
- October – from “octo” (eight) – originally the eighth month
- November – from “novem” (nine) – originally the ninth month
- December – from “decem” (ten) – originally the tenth month
As you can see, with March as the first month, September rightfully held its place as the seventh month, perfectly aligning with its Latin root. The names of October, November, and December also accurately reflected their original positions in this ten-month calendar.
The discrepancy arose with calendar reforms, primarily attributed to Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, and later Julius Caesar. Numa Pompilius is credited with adding two months to the end of the year: January, named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, and February, derived from “februa,” the Roman festival of purification.
Initially, these two additional months were placed at the end of December, still maintaining March as the start of the year. However, to better align the calendar with the solar year and standardize the year’s beginning, January and February were eventually moved to the beginning of the year. This crucial shift in the calendar’s structure pushed all subsequent months forward by two positions.
Consequently, March became the third month, April the fourth, and so on. September, which was once the seventh month, became the ninth. Similarly, October shifted to the tenth, November to the eleventh, and December became the twelfth month, despite their numerical roots indicating positions eight, nine, and ten, respectively.
Interestingly, July and August also underwent name changes. Originally named Quintilis and Sextilis (fifth and sixth months), they were renamed in honor of Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus Caesar, respectively. However, unlike September to December, their numerical associations were already becoming outdated even before the renaming, as they had already shifted positions with the addition of January and February.
In conclusion, the seemingly confusing numbering of September and the following months is a historical artifact of the Roman calendar’s evolution. The names accurately reflected their positions in the original ten-month year that began in March. The addition of January and February and the subsequent shift of the year’s start to January caused this numerical misalignment, leaving us with a calendar where September is the ninth month, a testament to the enduring legacy of Roman timekeeping.
