[History of Julius Caesar by Jacob Abbott]@TWC D-Link bookHistory of Julius Caesar CHAPTER X 18/20
Since this work of conquest was now completed, he turned his attention to the internal affairs of the empire, and made many improvements in the system of administration, looking carefully into every thing, and introducing every where those exact and systematic principles which such a mind as his seeks instinctively in every thing over which it has any control. [Sidenote: Ancient division of time.] [Sidenote: Change effected by Caesar.] [Sidenote: The old and new styles.] One great change which he effected continues in perfect operation throughout Europe to the present day.
It related to the division of time.
The system of months in use in his day corresponded so imperfectly with the annual circuit of the sun, that the months were moving continually along the year in such a manner that the winter months came at length in the summer, and the summer months in the winter.
This led to great practical inconveniences; for whenever, for example, any thing was required by law to be done in certain months, intending to have them done in the summer, and the specified month came at length to be a winter month, the law would require the thing to be done in exactly the wrong season.
Caesar remedied all this by adopting a new system of months, which should give three hundred and sixty-five days to the year for three years, and three hundred and sixty-six for the fourth; and so exact was the system which he thus introduced, that it went on unchanged for sixteen centuries.
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