Guide to Roman numerals
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: Ancient Mediterranean and Europe
Forum Discription: Greece, Macedon, Rome and other cultures such as Celtic and Germanic tribes
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1640
Printed Date: 23-Apr-2024 at 11:25
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Topic: Guide to Roman numerals
Posted By: Imperator Invictus
Subject: Guide to Roman numerals
Date Posted: 22-Dec-2004 at 19:01
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Just
thought I might write a guide here, as I think many people today aren't
always correct when speaking about ancient Roman Numerals, as used by
the Romans. For example, the use of the character M is post classical,
and was almost never used by the Romans. The Romans used symbols to represent numbers: I = 1 (the basic single down slash) V = 5 X = 10 L = 50 C = 100 As most people know, numbers are added when one is placed behind another of equal or greater value, and if its placed behind another of less value, it is subtracted by that lesser value. For example, IIII is 4, VI is five. IX is 9. You may have noticed that IV also makes 4, just like how IIX and VIII both make 8. In numbers that "borderline"the subtraction and addition method, both forms would have been considered acceptable. Roman numerals as a system was not very standardized, especially when you go to higher numbers: 
= 500 Either a strikethrough D or I and a flipped C, called an apostrophus  or ∞ or ( | ) = 1000 notice that adding another I to
doubles it to 1000. Sometimes, it's written less letter-like and more
like a circle with a line through it: ( | ). the infinity symbol is also
used as 1000. Adding a bar above the letters multiplies it by
1000, so for example,_ I = 1000 _ V or I  or | ) = 5000CCI or ((| )) or X(with bar)= 10000 eg. ((| )) ((| )) ((| )) = 30000 And this pattern continues... sometimes the ( or ) are replaced by shorter vertical lines, such as ||||| for 10000. Usually, when large numbers are inscribed, they are written smaller than normal character. Another variation is to have a circle with a verticle line through the middle, and have the ( and ) written inside the two halves of the circle. A million is represented by X enclosed with lines: __ |X | = 1,000,000 The three lines represents mulitplcation by 100,000. There are also some instances where the lateral lines were only half way drawn, but it isn't very clear if it means something different. There are many exceptions to the rules, such as dealing with military numbers. |
Replies:
Posted By: Infidel
Date Posted: 25-Dec-2004 at 08:21
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Thanks, I confess I didn't know some of the stuff concerning the high numerals. ------------- An nescite quantilla sapientia mundus regatur? |
Posted By: BattleGlory
Date Posted: 26-Dec-2004 at 21:30
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M can also equal 1,000. I did not know a lot of that, actually. Thank you. ------------- ~If you don't know history, you don't know anything. ~Time can change me, but I can't change time. 
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Posted By: cattus
Date Posted: 29-Apr-2005 at 01:32
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What symbol was used to indicate 1/2 ? ------------- |
Posted By: Imperator Invictus
Date Posted: 29-Apr-2005 at 15:22
Apparantly, it's  Known as the semis. For other fractions, the Romans didn't have a widely used symbol for them, as far as I know. They had words to represent numbers like 5/12 and composite phrases that would say "three fifths" but not a symbol. Mathmaticians during the Roman period usually used Greek, eygptian, and other systems more flexible than the Roman one. Greek numerals were capable of fraction forms. ------------- |
Posted By: cattus
Date Posted: 29-Apr-2005 at 20:53
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Hmm, what I am seeing is a deformed "S" or hook of somekind. The semis is a strange character. Thank you. ------------- |