How did Romans record the passing years?

[Pict]

Once again I apologize for not being able to find an answer to my question using the search feature. I find even being very specific I can't seem to raise any pertainent detail.

My questions are these. We in the west record the years as CE or BCE and previously (In the Christian world) BC or AD. How did the Romans number and record their years? In relation to a supposed date for the founding of Rome or some other major event? Did anything change when the Republic ended? Did they change to BC/AD with the advent of Christian Emperors?

Again thanks in advance for all information and sorry if we've covered this before. Please just point me in the appropriate direction (s).

Cheers,
Pict

[Carlton Bach]

The traditional Romnan form of dating is by Consulate. The year is named after the two consuls who held office in it e.g. "during the Consulate of C. Iulius Caesar and S. P. Nonentity". Since the consuls were elected annually, that was usually good enough for most purposes. The system continued into the Imperial times, all the way to when it appears the main point of (s)electing consuls was to have a name for the year. A number of other cities used the names of their own magistrates as a similar counting device for their own documents.

A number of other chronologies were available if they wanted to use them. Greek tradition often used the four-year 'Olympiads' - the how manieth Olympiad from the first Olympic games we were in, e.g. 'the third year of the 213th Olympiad". Many places in Asia Minor and Syria used the 'Sullan Era' counting years from the campaigns of Sulla in their area. The count 'from the founding of the city' was always possible, but considered a scholarly affectation, not a practical system. The Christian Romans eventually went over to dating events by the year after Creation, while the barbarian kingdoms largely used dating by the regnal years of kings. BC/AD dating does not show up until the early Middle Ages and does not become common until the rise of universities.

[Epictetus]

The count 'from the founding of the city' was always possible, but considered a scholarly affectation, not a practical system.

And the way they kept track of years was by hammering a nail each year.

There is an ancient law written in antique letters and words, that whoever is supreme officer should drive a nail on the ides of September. It was driven into the right side of the temple of Jupiter supremely good and great, on that part where the temple of Minerva is. They say that the nail was a mark of the number of years elapsed, because letters were rare in those times, and that the law was referred to the temple of Minerva, because number is the invention of that goddess.

Livy VII.3

There are some questions on exactly when this system of counting started. Krister Hanell wondered if eponymous officials existed under the monarchy. Others have wondered if the Republic and the Temple were founded the same year as Livy claims or if the hammering of the nail started immediately. If not, the numbering of years could be off.

Some Roman historians almost certainly fiddled with the length of the reigns of various kings, so numbering years in the monarchy could be troublesome. But generally it is thought that the Fasti, recording the names of the annual magistrates and hence the number of years since the founding of the Republic is broadly (but not absolutely) reliable.

[M. Demetrius]

So the AUC version that we tend toward these days (I think this is 2761) is a later convention? Or entirely imaginary?

[Sean Manning]

So the AUC version that we tend toward these days (I think this is 2761) is a later convention? Or entirely imaginary?

It was used by scholars like (I think) Livy. It may be a superior system, but consul years worked OK for the Romans!

[LCorneliusScaeva]

A good book on this topic is 'Caesar's Calendar: Ancient Time and the Beginnings of History'.

[Epictetus]

Livy seems to have used the traditional consul names most of the time. Dion used Olympiads.

AUC was used here and there, though. Here is a coin of Hadrian, I think, with an AUC date on it to celebrate special games.

[SigniferOne]

It is difficult to say how early the AUC system was used. After all it was only Varro who traced the founding to 753 BC, hence what AUC numbers did they use before him?