FAM: Lesson - Numbers in Rome

Numbers in Rome

Now we will practice using Roman numbers by looking at how ancient Romans calculated miles and age.

Miles (distance)

To express a distance in miles in Latin, the Romans used a combination of terms: the number 1000 (mille; milia) and the noun passus. In Latin, the 4th declension noun passus, passus, m. means a pace. In Roman times, one passus was actually a double step (step with left foot + right foot = one pace), and that double step was measured at 5 feet. Thus you have the Latin expression:

• mille passus
  • mille passus = 1000 paces = 5000 feet (1000 x 5 ft/pace) = 1 mile.
  • This is quite close to the modern American mile, which is 5280 feet!

For more than one mile, the expression changes slightly. Instead of using the adjective mille (1000), the plural noun form milia (thousands) is used with the genitive plural of the noun pace (passuum - remember, we have not learned 4th declension, so that -uum gen pl ending should be unfamiliar!): 

• milia passuum = thousands of paces = miles.

To complete the expression, a cardinal number is placed before milia:

• duo milia passuum = two "thousands of paces" = 2 miles
• centum milia passuum = 100 "thousands of paces" = 100 miles

Review:

Miles Review - How to Talk about Distance in Miles in Latin

How many miles?	Latin	English
One mile	mille passus	One mile
More than one mile	[cardinal number] milia passuum decem milia passuum  XIII milia passuum	[cardinal number] miles ten miles 13 miles

Age

How would you ask a Roman how old they are?

• In the masculine, you would ask, Quot annos natus es? 
• In the feminine, the question becomes: Quot annos nata es? 
  • Literally: For how many years have you been born? but we would translate:
  • How old are you?

To respond to the question a Roman might say: 

• Viginti annos natus sum. 
  • Literally: "I have been born for twenty years," but we would translate:
  • I am 20 years old.
• Viginiti annos nata sum.
  • I am 20 years old.

We use natus es/natus sum for the masculine and we use nata es/nata sum for the feminine. Notice the masculine ending -us on natus and the feminine ending -a on nata. This is another example of how important the correct use of gender was to the Romans.

Ages - How to Ask and How to Respond

Gender	Latin	English
Masculine Question	Quot annos natus es?	How old are you?
Feminine Question	Quot annos nata es?
Masculine Response	[cardinal number] annos natus sum. Quindecim annos natus sum. XVIII annos natus sum.	I am [cardinal number] years old. I am fifteen years old. I am 18 years old.
Feminine Response	[cardinal number] annos nata sum. Septendecim annos nata sum. XIII annos nata sum.	I am [cardinal number] years old. I am seventeen years old. I am 13 years old.

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