Mercedonius

E531233

Mercedonius was an occasional leap month in the early Roman calendar, inserted to realign the lunar-based year with the solar cycle.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Mercedonius canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (38)

Predicate Object
instanceOf intercalary month ⓘ
month in the Roman calendar ⓘ
abolishedBy Julian calendar ⓘ
associatedWith Numa Pompilius ⓘ
basedOn lunar phases ⓘ
calendarRole intercalation to approximate 365-day solar year ⓘ
calendarType lunisolar calendar ⓘ
category Ancient Roman religion ⓘ
Roman timekeeping ⓘ
controlledBy Pontifex Maximus ⓘ
linked to: pontifex maximus
culturalContext Roman religion and festival cycle ⓘ
effectOnYearLength extended the Roman year beyond 355 days ⓘ
etymology possibly derived from Latin "merces" (wages or payment) ⓘ
followedBy March ⓘ
frequency occasionally inserted ⓘ
function correct drift of the Roman calendar ⓘ
realign lunar year with solar year ⓘ
introducedBy Roman pontiffs ⓘ
linked to: Pope
languageOfName Latin ⓘ
length approximately 27 days in some reconstructions ⓘ
sometimes reconstructed as 22 or 23 days ⓘ
mentionedBy Censorinus ⓘ
Macrobius ⓘ
politicalAspect intercalation could be manipulated for political advantage ⓘ
positionInYear inserted after 23 February in some reconstructions ⓘ
inserted between February and March ⓘ
precededBy February ⓘ
purpose keep Roman festivals in correct season ⓘ
synchronize civic calendar with agricultural year ⓘ
relatedTo Roman Republican calendar ⓘ
linked to: Roman calendar
replacedBy Julian calendar reform ⓘ
linked to: Julian calendar
standardYearContext Roman 355-day common year ⓘ
status obsolete ⓘ
timePeriod Roman Republic ⓘ
uncertainty exact length is debated among scholars ⓘ
exact rules of insertion are not securely known ⓘ
usedIn early Roman calendar ⓘ
usedUntil 46 BC (introduction of Julian calendar) ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.