RomanArmyTalk
Telling Time - Printable Version

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Telling Time - Lothia - 03-24-2014

I understand that the length of the hours of the day varried based upon season and longitude.
The Romans must have had some way to adjust their sundials to show that. I know a sundial could be built for a specific longitude, but that does not account for changes by the seasons as days lengthened or shortened.

Furthermore, how was time measured after dark? I could guess water clocks, but requires that in March the clock needs to have four cups in it and in June, three cups because of the shorter nights..
How did they know how to measure to get the changing of the watches down right?

Again, thanks.
Tom


Telling Time - Flavivs Aetivs - 03-24-2014

I recommend reading this thread, it answers a few of your questions.

http://www.romanarmytalk.com/17-roman-military-history-a-archaeology/322352-time.html#349034


Telling Time - Nathan Ross - 03-24-2014

This one too, which mentions adjustable sundails for different seasons:

How did the Romans measure time?