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The Roman calendar changed its form several times in the time between the foundation of Rome and the fall of the Roman Empire. This article generally discusses the early Roman or 'pre-Julian' calendars. The calendar used after 46 BC is discussed under the Julian calendar. The original Roman calendar is believed to have been a lunar calendar, which may have been based on one of the Greek lunar calendars. As the time between new moons averages 29.5 days, its months would have been either hollow (29 days) or full (30 days). Full months were considered powerful and therefore auspicious; hollow months were unlucky. Roman traditions claimed that the calendar was invented by Romulus, the founder of Rome about 753 BC. Unlike our dates, which are numbered sequentially from the beginning of the month, the Romans counted backwards from three fixed points - the Nones, the Ides, and the Kalends of the following month. This system originated in the practice of "calling" the new month when the crescent was first observed in the west after sunset. From the shape and orientation of the new moon the number of days remaining to the nones would be proclaimed. The earliest known version contained ten months, and started at the vernal equinox; however, the months by this time were no longer 'lunar' Romans considered odd numbers to be lucky and even numbers unlucky. This superstition influenced the first reform of the calendar, which was attributed to Numa Pompilius, the second of the seven traditional Kings of Rome. He is said to have added January and February to the end of the calendar around 713 BC. Twelve lunar months, each averaging a little over 29.53 days, come to 354.37 days. To make his new months, Numa added 50 days to the year. He wanted each month and also the year to have an odd number of days, but since this was not possible he brought the length of the calendar year up to 355 days and took one day from each 30-day month, giving a total 57 days to share between January and February. February was made hollow with 28 days and all the other months were full
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