# Roman Numerals, Clocks & Sundials

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-numerals-clocks-sundials/281010>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [December 21, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-numerals-clocks-sundials/281010 "2004-12-21T18:25:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-numerals-clocks-sundials/281010/1 "2004-12-21T18:25:55Z")

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In [THIS](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_153) column, the Master discusses whether Roman sundials had IIII or IV on them.

[HERE](http://www.math.uni-hamburg.de/math/ign/xyz/ca00-v5.htm#tth_sEc1) is a science education website that discusses early clocks & sundials.

Roman sundials _were not flat!_ They were bowl-shaped, & you could keep track of the months with them, too.

Flat sundials seemingly were products of the Dark Ages (sundials/Dark Ages–free oxymoron to anybody who’ll give it a good home).  
The website shows a 15th Century clock with IIII, & a Dark Ages sundial with a IV.

I can’t see the markings on the sundial. :mad:

I hope this link is helpful, & please show it to the Celestial Master. 🙂

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**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-numerals-clocks-sundials/281010/2 "2004-12-21T21:27:55Z")

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Moreoever, although the Romans did not have weight-driven or spring-driven escapement clocks, they did have clocks with dials and hands, in the form of clepsydrae with float-to-rack-to-pinion drives. cf.[This discussion at Beaglesoft.](http://www.beaglesoft.com/timehistoryroman.htm)

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-numerals-clocks-sundials/281010/3 "2004-12-22T18:47:11Z")

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> [@John W. Kennedy](#):
>
> Moreoever, although the Romans did not have weight-driven or spring-driven escapement clocks, they did have clocks with dials and hands, in the form of clepsydrae with float-to-rack-to-pinion drives. cf.[This discussion at Beaglesoft.](http://www.beaglesoft.com/timehistoryroman.htm)

:smack:

I should have remembered that!

The Antikythera Mechanism had toothed gears like a clock. Could there have been other timekeeping devices among the Ancients?