So, what would somebody say the year was if they were asked at that point?
What year is it?
Submitted 6 months ago by Toes@ani.social to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://ani.social/pictrs/image/b7b2274a-65d1-4ad4-9f8a-c5c4552e4689.webp
Comments
Jolteon@lemmy.zip 6 months ago
Toes@ani.social 6 months ago
A universal calendar hasn’t been established yet so it would depend on where you are.
For example today in 59 BC under the Athenian calendar would be 17 of Thargelion, Ol.180.1
SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 6 months ago
But that’s a conversation that everyone knows anyways.
mrmule@lemmy.world 6 months ago
In Egypt they would say the 8th year of Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator
maculata@aussie.zone 6 months ago
No they wouldn’t. They would say something similar BUT IN OLDE WORLDY EGYPTIAN.
runeko@programming.dev 6 months ago
Pretty sure they would respond, “Get away from me, demon! Stop talking in tongues!”
Jolteon@lemmy.zip 6 months ago
I’m pretty sure the concept of somebody speaking another language from you existed back then.
ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 6 months ago
Wikipedia says 695 Ab urbe condita.
mkwt@lemmy.world 6 months ago
In the Roman empire it was also common to identify years by the names of the two consuls, because the consuls served one year terms.
Consuls continued to be elected through most of the empire period.
azi@mander.xyz 6 months ago
gigachad@feddit.de 6 months ago
They probably woukdn’t even know their own age
Kolanaki@yiffit.net 6 months ago
How do we know they mean BC as in “Before Christ” and not BC as in “Before Cambrian?”
lolcatnip@reddthat.com 6 months ago
Because they’re speaking modern English.
jivandabeast@lemmy.browntown.dev 6 months ago
Except that person is a time traveler, so they would be speaking modern English regardless
nexguy@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Before Cosby
Kolanaki@yiffit.net 6 months ago
Before he was famous or before he was infamous? 🤔
zaphod@sopuli.xyz 6 months ago
“Before” implies something hasn’t happened yet, therefore if they know it’s before “something” they must be a time traveller.
niktemadur@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Or else, you didn’t travel anywhere (anywhen?) and the first guy you bumped into is a wise-ass.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 6 months ago
If he gave you the year 113 would you know that was our current year?
Toes@ani.social 6 months ago
Only if they gave you the full date, otherwise it could potentially be a lot of things still.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 6 months ago
As in saying “Juche 113”?
I don’t think common people announce it that way
GreatTitEnthusiast@mander.xyz 6 months ago
Took me a second
Unbeelievable@beehaw.org 6 months ago
They would probably not speak Modern English either.
The_Che_Banana@beehaw.org 6 months ago
Image
RGB3x3@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Okay, honest question: what did they call it then, if anything?
Because it’s not like they planned on counting down to the future “messiah’s” birthday.
aeronmelon@lemmy.world 6 months ago
You have to look at non-Christian calendars.
It was 2275 in Korea.
It was 265 of the 33rd dynasty in Egypt.
It was 2 of the 180th Olympiad in Greece.
More here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/59_BC
charonn0@startrek.website 6 months ago
The Romans named their years after who was elected Consul that year. There were two Consuls, so you’d say “in the consulship of Jones and Smith”. 59BC was Julius Caesar and some other guy. The other guy was so unimportant that Romans joked by calling it the consulship of “Julius and Caesar”.
Semjaza@lemmynsfw.com 6 months ago
Depends on where in the world, but most dating systems with reginal, that is what year of what monarch/pharaoh/emperor’s reign.
StaySquared@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Depends on who’s calendar… haha
StaySquared@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Same… took me a moment. Then I realized in 59 B.C. it was like year 700 to them at that time (not literally 700… just throwing a random number).