his first consulate in this month. Till then it was known as Sextilis. September was formerly, till B.C. 54, the seventh month. For nineteen and one half centuries it has been the ninth of the historical year, which has been held to commence as from January, notwithstanding international divergences otherwise. October, November, and December were respectively the eighth, ninth, and tenth months of the old Roman Calendar. In December (in the northern hemisphere) occurred the winter solstice. It was a period of time when (under Paganism as under Christianity) special festivals were held. See these detailed in section 53 supra.
61. Old Style;[1] New Style.—I have prepared this table as the best explanation of the currency in the two styles:—
| Style | Empire | Months | Divided | Days in | Leap year currency | Dates | |
| com. year | leap year | ||||||
| O.S. | Roman | 12 solar | Kal; Ides; Nones. | 365 | 366 | 1 in 4 | Under the Cæsars |
| O.S.„ | Western Roman | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | 650 A.D. |
| O.S.„ | Saxon | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | 9th cent. |
| N.S. | Papal | {{{1}}}„ | Also Saxon week-days | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | 97 in 400 | 1582 |
| N.S.„ | British | {{{1}}}„ | Saxon | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | 1752 |
| O.S. | Russian | {{{1}}}„ | week-days | {{{1}}}„ | {{{1}}}„ | 1 in 4 | 1896 |
62. Nabonassar.—Ancient history can recite how the monarch of this name acceded to the Babylonion throne, but it has been left to the indefatigible Ptolemy to give us a clue to the year of the accession, which he has done by leaving on record certain astronomical phenomena; and
- ↑ See also section 89 infra as to the persistence of O.S.
