Note 327 — Chapter IV · MARKET DAYS

See G. E. Marindin, in Smith, Wayte, and Marindin’s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities,³ ii, 251 sq.; M. Besnier, in Daremberg, Saglio, and Pottier’s Dictionnaire des antiquités grecques et romaines, vii, 120-122; E. Huschke, Das alte römische Jahr und seine Tage, Breslau, 1869, pp. 288-312; R. Flex, Die älteste Monatseinteilung der Römer, Jena, 1880, pp. 16 sqq.; and especially P. Huvelin, Essai historique sur le droit des marchés et des foires, Paris, 1897, pp. 84-99. According to the Roman system of inclusive reckoning—which may be compared with that sometimes employed in Yorubaland (p. 119 n.¹)—the market fell on the ninth day, as the derivation of the word nundinæ (from novem) indicates. It has been suggested by H. Diels (Sibyllinische Blätter, Berlin, 1890, p. 41 n.¹) that the choice of the ninth day was influenced by the symbolism attaching to the number nine among the Romans, as among other Indo-European peoples; compare the Nones, or the ninth day before the Ides, and the nine days’ festivals (novemdiales feriæ). Probably, however, the Roman market week consisted originally of four days only, and later was doubled to form the cycle employed in historic times. The nundinal days were not named, but were indicated in the calendars by letters of the alphabet from A to H.