From: utzoo!decvax!duke!harpo!npoiv!alice!rhm
Newsgroups: net.followup
Title: Re5: Gregorian Great Circle
Article-I.D.: alice.1011
Posted: Sun Oct 24 18:14:21 1982
Received: Mon Oct 25 01:59:30 1982

(sorry about the trashed partial article)

I would like to hear/see some evidence that:

1. back in Roman times, the year began on March 1.
   It certainly did not during the lifetime of Julius or Augustus, and
   my best information is that the year began in January as far back as
   400 B.C.  Clearly, by the names of the months, something must have
   happened in very early times, but the fact seems to be that the
   Romans of historical times began the year in January, and that this
   was changed (in various ways) during the Christian era.  For example,
   when England changed to the Gregorian calendar in 1752, they changed
   at the same time from a year that began on March 25 to one which
   began on January 1.  Even at that time, the year still began in
   March in most parts of Italy.

2. that Julius and Augustus both stole days from February to make their
   months longer.  I know this is the accepted story, but since February
   had 29 days before either Julius or Augustus was born, something
   doesn't add up.  I believe the story actually is true with respect
   to Augustus.