Romans Quote by Adrian Goldsworthy
““Tradition maintained that Rome had been founded in 753 BC. For the Romans this was Year One and subsequent events were formally dated as so many years from the 'foundation of the city' (ab urbe condita).””
About This Quote
Source Book: Roman History, Adrian Goldsworthy, 2010
Romans dated events from the city’s founding, using “ab urbe condita” as a calendar system.
In simple terms: Romans counted years from Rome’s founding.
Understand historical dating methods.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic research
- museum exhibits
- historical fiction
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does a founding date shape identity?
- What are the limits of such dating?
Other cultures used different reference points.