10 Incredible Facts about Roman Numbers

 10 Incredible Facts about Roman Numbers

Rome is a city full of history and marvellous places and things to see. You’ll find statues, art and history in every alley and narrow street you’ll take. While walking around this ancient city you’ll notice something particular, marble plates with numbers that aren’t really easy to read for those who don’t know them. Let’s find out together 10 incredible facts about Roman numbers that may help you understand more about roman history.

1. Roman Numerals and their origins

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Roman numerals were born from the carving of successive notches that were engraved on wood or other materials. It is believed that in reality, they were not signs to do operations with but simple abbreviations to express and remember numbers. The carving up to number 4 was simple and in order not to make reading difficult, another sign was needed. So the Romans changed the appearance of the notch of the multiples of 5,10 as for example IIIIVIIIIXIIIIVIIIIX …

2. How to read Roman Numerals

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Roman Numerals were made of a combination of seven letters. The smaller number was added only if placed after the bigger number and subtracted when placed before. We can easily say that the number represented in the end is given by the difference or the sum of the values of each symbol that composes it.

3. Number Zero 

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The number zero is the only one that can’t be represented by the roman numerals.

4. Multiple numbers

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The ancient Romans used “frames suffixes” in order to indicate multiples. The letter was partially or entirely underlined and established how to multiply it. Underlining the letter above or below indicated a multiplication by a thousand.
While edging the letter on both sides and on the side above indicated a multiplication by a hundred thousand. Instead, two vertical lines positioned at the top of the letter indicated a multiplication by 1000000.

5. The Roman abacus

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To make the calculations the Romans did not use written numbering, but small pebbles, which were called “calculations”.
These pebbles were threaded into the grooves of an abacus.

6. The Roman fractions

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The ancient Romans to write the fractions used a particular system of dots. The letter “S” indicated the half, the exact value of a half. Roman added to the “s” many dots.
The dots were positioned according to the twelfths to be reached. Initially, the dots were positioned linearly. Later they were positioned in a way known as a “quincunx arrangement”. This arrangement is still used for representing numbers on dice.

7. The toponymy of Rome

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Going around Rome you will find many plaques indicating the streets of Rome where the Roman numerals are present.
It was customary for the city of Rome to use Roman numerals to represent toponymy on travertine slabs. While enjoying the “eternal city” try to find out the roman numerals on the walls.

8. The number four

Foto – Sconosciuto – Wikipedia

A special case is the number four in the Roman numerals.
The number four is spelt as IV but many clocks around the world still use the old method to represent it.
That is the number IIII instead of the number IV.
One of the most important clocks showing this is the Tower clock of the Palace of Westminster.

9. Use of the Roman numerals

Foto di Diliff – Opera propria – Wikipedia

Roman numerals were the primary tool used for counting until the establishment of the Arabic system introduced in the European continents during the 11th century. But despite all this, they are still used for cornerstones, chapter tiles, church leaders and more all around the world. Without forgetting the use of the roman numerals for astrology, theology, seismology, photography and also pharmaceuticals.

10. Roman Numerals and the Roman Empire

Rome by Foto di Oliver Lechner da Pixabay

Roma numerals were an important part of the history of the Roman Empire. The roman numerals were used to help to create architectures such as the Constantine Arch and the Colosseum. But let’s not forget how important they were as they helped Romans to give a price to goods and services that helped them thrive.