Telling Time In Ancient Rome

Answer 1

Telling Time in Ancient Rome

The SundialThe Romans first used the sun's movement to measure the passage of time. Using this method they could precisely measure only sunrise, midday, and sunset, but they used the length of shadows to estimate other times of the day. The introduction of the sundial gave the Romans a new tool to better measure time. Travelers from Sicily brought the sundial to Rome in 263 B.C. and set it up in the Forum, where it became a popular meeting place. People came to check the time, to socialize, and "to see and to be seen." Other sundials were set up in public buildings or squares. Only the wealthy could afford to have one in their own homes and it quickly became a status symbol. Most people still just used the sun and its movements. The sundial enabled the Romans to divide the day into 12 equal parts, or hours. The hours became a way to mark time and meetings. Courts opened at about the third hour, for example, and lunch was at midday, the sixth hour. People would go home to eat a leisurely lunch and take a siesta, returning to work in a few hours. People in Rome today still leave work at 1:00 and return to work from 4:00 to 7:00.

Answer 2

They had two mechanical methods of telling time. One was the sundial and the other was the water clock. However, the main method that most Romans used was simply lookign up at the sky to see where the sun was. They, like most ancient peoples, were adept at telling the hour of the day in both winter and summer by the sun's position.

Answer 3

The Romans, like other ancient peoples, used the sundial.