“Caesar” is more than the name of a delicious salad — it’s also perhaps the most powerful surname in ancient Roman history. Julius Caesar was a famed Roman statesman, and his adopted son Augustus served as the first Roman emperor from 27 BCE to 14 CE. Both men were so important in Roman history that they had months named in their honor, and their legacy is still present in our modern calendar.
When March was the first month of the Roman calendar, July and August were the fifth and sixth months, respectively. At that time, July was called Quintilis (translating to “fifth month” in Latin), while August was known as Sextilis (“sixth month”). These names existed for years until they were both changed during the first century BCE.
After Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE, the Romans named a month in his honor. He was born on the 12th day of Quintilis in 100 BCE, so his birth month was renamed “Iulius” (which was how “Julius” was spelled in Latin before the letter “j” was added to the alphabet in the 17th century).
Emperor Augustus was the one making these name changes, and he decided to rename Sextilis after himself. Over time, as English developed partially from Latin influences, “Iulius/Julius” and “Augustus” turned into “July” and “August,” respectively.
Along with the name changes, two months were added to the beginning of the calendar year, and a leap year every four years was created. Julius Caesar made some of the changes, and Augustus made the rest, but it was called “the Julian calendar,” which kept time for around 400 years.
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