FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board

Resources => NumisWiki => Topic started by: SP88K on December 18, 2005, 06:31:59 pm

Title: Date V.C.
Post by: SP88K on December 18, 2005, 06:31:59 pm
What does the writer mean by the year indication  V.C.? 
and how would this convert to BC and AD ?

Casper
Title: Re: Date V.C.
Post by: curtislclay on December 18, 2005, 07:19:39 pm
It's the year "From the foundation of the City", allegedly in 752 BC.
Title: Re: Date V.C.
Post by: Jochen on December 18, 2005, 07:48:18 pm
I agree with Curtis. It could be the abbreviation of [AB] VRBE CONDITA.

Best regards
Title: Re: Date V.C.
Post by: SP88K on December 18, 2005, 07:58:15 pm
Here is a quote from The Dictionary of Roman coins in which the writer uses  the abbreviation:
 (as Eckhel has shown on coins of Tiberius, struck in the year v.c. 775), is the symbol of the senate and the people of Rome, and it is probable that on this account the usual sign S. C. was not placed on those pieces. and a little bit further he mentions it again:  struck under Vespasian in the year v.c. 827, as well as on coins of Domitian (Caesar) in 826. So indeed it must be from the foundation of the city. 775 - 752 would then make it 23 AD. Thank you very much, I'll convert them into AD terms.

Casper
Title: Re: Date V.C.
Post by: curtislclay on December 18, 2005, 08:19:00 pm
V.C. 775 is 22 AD, 826 = 73 AD, 827 = 74 AD, as I have just coped from Eckhel himself. 
Your calculation of V.C. 775 as 23 AD is one year off, probably because there was no year 0.
Title: Re: Date V.C.
Post by: Lawrence Woolslayer on December 19, 2005, 07:45:19 am
As a side note: I found when typing the entries u.c. is used interchageably with V.C.: I have been changing those marked u.c. to V.C. to be more consistant.
Also sometimes the author(s) say 'In the year of Rome...' which could be left alone or changed, and I have been leaving these as written.
Title: Re: Date V.C.
Post by: SP88K on December 19, 2005, 07:08:55 pm
To sum it up for myself :
Ab vrbe condita (AUC or a.u.c. or V.C. or u.c. (as used in DRC) is Latin for "from the founding of the city" (of Rome), supposed to have happened in 753 BC.  as initiated by Varro.

So to convert this date into BC and AD
for V.C. dates lower as 753  =>   (753 - V.C.) +1 = B.C.    for example:  V.C. 692 would be (753 - 692) +1 = 62 B.C.
753 V.C. itself                       =>    753 = 1 B.C.
for V.C. dates higher as 753 =>    V.C. - 753 = A.D.          for example:  V.C. 775 would be (775 - 753) = 22 A.D.
Title: Re: Date V.C.
Post by: Joe Sermarini on December 19, 2005, 11:26:18 pm
We should use B.C. and A.D. (or CE) dates when updating DRC.