# If the "Ides of March" is the 15th, what's the 16th of March?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 16, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125 "2007-03-16T01:45:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/1 "2007-03-16T01:45:20Z")
Yah, can someone tell me the venaculare expression of today (3/16), as if we were back in the days of old Rome?
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### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/2 "2007-03-16T01:56:03Z")
The Romans delineated dates in terms of how many days they were before one of the key markers in each month (Kalends, Nones and Ides).
16 March is seventeen days before the next key marker, the first day, or Kalends, of April. In counting the days, the Romans counted both the first and last days.
So 16 March is ante diem XVII Kal. Apr.
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### Author:  [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/3 "2007-03-16T01:57:27Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000]
Yah, can someone tell me the venaculare expression of today (3/16), as if we were back in the days of old Rome?
[/QUOTE]
It would be a.d. XVII Kalends April
Or 17 days before the first of April (though I’m sure they spelled April differently). Note the Romans counted inclusively so that March 31st was the second day before the first of April, etc.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/4 "2007-03-16T01:59:09Z")
Martius sextus decimus.
A smartass might call it Martius quattuordêvîcênsimus.
[Roman months](http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-months.php)
[Latin numerals](http://www.informalmusic.com/latinsoc/latnum.html)
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/5 "2007-03-16T02:00:56Z")
Friday.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/6 "2007-03-16T02:11:30Z")
The Jades of March.
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### Author:  [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/7 "2007-03-16T02:27:12Z")
My birthday! 😃
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### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/8 "2007-03-16T02:31:35Z")
The After-Ides Sale Day!
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### Author:  [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/9 "2007-03-16T02:32:29Z")
Market day.
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### Author:  [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/10 "2007-03-16T03:15:01Z")
[Wikipedia: Roman Calendar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar)
[Wikipedia: Julian Calendar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar)
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/11 "2007-03-16T13:21:40Z")
> [@Cunctator](#):
>
> So 16 March is ante diem XVII Kal. Apr.
[QUOTE=OldGuy]
It would be a.d. XVII Kalends April
[/QUOTE]
That is the most amazing simulpost I have ever seen on this board. :eek: 🆒
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/12 "2007-03-16T15:12:43Z")
St. Patrick’s Day Eve
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### Author:  [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-ides-of-march-is-the-15th-whats-the-16th-of-march/396125/13 "2007-03-16T16:58:50Z")
Ides sooner it be Friday. 🙂