So, what would somebody say the year was if they were asked at that point?
What year is it?
Submitted 11 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 11 months ago
Toes@ani.social 11 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 11 months ago
But that’s a conversation that everyone knows anyways.
mrmule@lemmy.world 11 months ago
In Egypt they would say the 8th year of Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator
maculata@aussie.zone 11 months ago
No they wouldn’t. They would say something similar BUT IN OLDE WORLDY EGYPTIAN.
runeko@programming.dev 11 months ago
Pretty sure they would respond, “Get away from me, demon! Stop talking in tongues!”
Jolteon@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
I’m pretty sure the concept of somebody speaking another language from you existed back then.
ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Wikipedia says 695 Ab urbe condita.
mkwt@lemmy.world 11 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 11 months ago
gigachad@feddit.de 11 months ago
They probably woukdn’t even know their own age
Kolanaki@yiffit.net 11 months ago
How do we know they mean BC as in “Before Christ” and not BC as in “Before Cambrian?”
lolcatnip@reddthat.com 11 months ago
Because they’re speaking modern English.
jivandabeast@lemmy.browntown.dev 11 months ago
Except that person is a time traveler, so they would be speaking modern English regardless
nexguy@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Before Cosby
Kolanaki@yiffit.net 11 months ago
Before he was famous or before he was infamous? 🤔
zaphod@sopuli.xyz 11 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 11 months ago
Or else, you didn’t travel anywhere (anywhen?) and the first guy you bumped into is a wise-ass.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
If he gave you the year 113 would you know that was our current year?
Toes@ani.social 11 months ago
Only if they gave you the full date, otherwise it could potentially be a lot of things still.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
As in saying “Juche 113”?
I don’t think common people announce it that way
GreatTitEnthusiast@mander.xyz 11 months ago
Took me a second
Unbeelievable@beehaw.org 11 months ago
They would probably not speak Modern English either.
The_Che_Banana@beehaw.org 11 months ago
Image
RGB3x3@lemmy.world 11 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 11 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 11 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 11 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 11 months ago
Depends on who’s calendar… haha
StaySquared@lemmy.world 11 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).