Special Sub-Topic: Roman Science and Invention Authored by: thejazzkickazz Sub-topic of: History of Science

The Tepula, Marcia, Alsietina and Anto Novus are names for which important construct of the Roman age?

Aqueducts. The system of Roman aqueducts had a capacity to supply the city with 300 million gallons of water daily...one of the great engineering accomplishments of Roman times to be sure!

The Romans used the abacus for counting purposes. What were the beads running along the wires of an abacus called?

Calculi. From whence we get the modern word 'calculate'.

True or false: The Romans employed the zero in their system of numbers.

f. Amazingly, the concept of zero did not reach Europe until the middle ages, via the Arabs. The Arabs are said to have received the concept of zero via Persia, via India. The Mayans also independently developed the concept of zero in their mathematical system.

True or false: The Romans used 'cranes' for building purposes.

t. Cranes were worked by treadmills employing human labor, and functioned with a system of pulleys. Technology on these devices was not improved for over a thousand years, until the Dutch finally made some interesting innovations.

The early calendar of the Romans was a lunar calendar that contained 304 days. Which month was the first on this less than accurate early calendar?

Martius. Martius later became 'March' in the Julian calendar. The months in order for the pre-Julian calendar were: Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quinctilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, December, Januarius and Februarius. During the per-Julian calendar period, the remaining days of the year (61 in all!) were unnamed, and were simply called 'intercalans'. The later 355 day calendar with January (Iannarils) and February (Februarias) was established during the reign of Numa Pompilius. The remaining days were called 'Intercalans' or 'Mercedonius'. The 355 day calendar was still quite complicated, and during the rule of Julius Caesar the calendar that we label Julian was developed by Sosigenes, and included 365 and occasional leap years. Finished...I hope you enjoyed the quiz and will be encouraged to try my other stuff...thanks!