- Unit 5. Social Life
- Getting Started
  - What Are We Learning?
  - Observe and Think
  - Map Your Mind
- Social Life
  - Time Measurement
  - The Average Day
  - Family
  - Education
  - Clothing
  - Gastronomy
  - Sport in Greece
  - Entertainment in Rome
    - Bathing
    - Circus
    - Amphitheatre
- Self-Evaluation Quiz
- Complementary Activities
  - The Greek and Latin Roots of English
  - One Myth One Song
  - Games, Comics and Stuff
- References

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# Time Measurement

### In Greece

A year had 354 days, divided into six 29 day months and six 30 day months (alternative).

There were no weeks but 10 day groups. Twenty-nine day months were divided into two 10 day groups and one 9 day group.

To calculate hours, they used a sundial called the gnomon. For shorter times, they used the water clock the clepsydra.

###

### In Rome

In the beginning, they had a moon calendar with 304 days divided into ten months. It worked really badly so Julius Caesar entrusted Sosigenes of Alexandria with the elaboration of a new one, the so-called Julian calendar. This was practically the same as ours.

The Roman calendar obviously had holidays (religious feasts and market days) but also a funny thing: days called fasti in which public business, including the official business of the Roman state, had to be transacted, and days nefasti in which all these activities were absolutely forbidden.

The every day activities were based upon the daylight hours, which meant that in wintertime things should be done quickly and in summer they took things more relaxed.

## Actividad

Look for information and explain how the gnomon and the clepsydra work in your own words.

Translation
Have you ever thought of the root of the word September? What number is in it? Seven, isn't it? But September is the ninth month of the year if I am not wrong. Think of the names of October, November and December and you will realize that something is going on.
Find out the reason why the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th months of the year have the numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10 in their roots.

The reason is that they kept their original names from the 10 month year when the months of July and August were added in the middle of the series.

## Actividad

The names of the months and weeks are full of Mythology and Ancient History. Find out their origin.

Have you ever thought of the origin of the word "calendar"? It is the perfect time to do it!

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