Dear Frank, > Mixed in with the discussion ... was a question > ... about when the use of equal hours by the > Romans began.
You are quite right that, in astronomical matters, equal hours were used in antiquity. As you say: > Little doubt that the refined values quoted by > these ancient fellows refer to equal hours. Equal hours were not, though, used for governing ordinary life. As Gianni Ferrari says: For what I know the equal hours were never used in western classical antiquity by the common people and they were used only from astronomers and scholars in their calculations of the durations of periods of time (Ptolemy, etc.) The only system of hours used was that of the temporary or seasonal hours: 12 hours from dawn to sunset (period of light) and 12 hours from sunset to dawn (night). This system of temporary hours persisted for a considerable time but my historical knowledge is very limited. No doubt the transition to equal hours (whether starting at noon, midnight, sunrise or sunset) was gradual but I feel it long predates mechanical clocks. Best wishes Frank --------------------------------------------------- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
