Name:
Date:
Homework
5-A
Numbering Years
Ancient calendars were generally based on the
calendar, this is AD 622. Most of 2013 is part of
beginning of a ruler's reign. For example, a certain
the Islamic year AH1434. AH is a Latin phrase
year would be identified as the third
that can be translated as “the year of the journey.”
year of Hammurabi’s rule.
The Hebrew calendar is used for Jewish
Most people today use the
religious services. The Hebrew year 5774 began at
Western calendar (also known as
sunset on September 4, 2013. Years are marked
the Gregorian calendar) for
AM on the Hebrew calendar for a Latin phrase that
everyday purposes. About
means “the beginning of the world.”
AD525, a Christian monk named
The Chinese calendar is used for festivals and
Dionysius Exiguus marked the year Christ was
holidays in many East Asian nations. In the
born as 1. The Western calendar tells us we live in
Chinese calendar, most of 2013 is known as the
2014, which is sometimes written AD 2014. AD
Year of the Snake.
refers to the anno Domini, a Latin phrase that
On Western calendars there are ten years in a
means “the year of the Lord.”
decade, one hundred years in a century, and one
The years before the birth of Christ are
thousand years in a millennium. This is considered
numbered backward from his birth. The year
the twenty-first century of the Common Era. The
before AD 1 was 1 BC, or one
first century lasted from
year “before Christ.” When
January 1, AD1 to December
Dionysius Exiguus
referring to dates before the
31, AD100. On December 31,
Dionysius Exiguus lived in the sixth
birth of Christ, the higher the
1999, many people
century of the Common Era. Dionysius
number the earlier the year.
celebrated the coming of the
Exiguus can be translated as Dennis the
Since we mark years from a set
new millennium, but the
Humble; though a writer described him
point known as 1—there is no
millennium did not really
as “the most learned” scholar in the city
year 0—3500BC was 5513
end until December 31,
of Rome, Dionysius lived a simple life as
years ago.
2000.
a Christian monk. A monk is a religious
Non-Christians often use
We also use terms such
person who resides apart from the rest
the term CE in place of AD. CE
as era or epoch to describe
of society to live a life of prayer or study.
refers to “Common Era” or
periods of time. A geologist is
About AD 525, Pope John I asked
“Christian Era.” BCE can
someone who studies how
Dionysius to calculate a table of the
describe the era preceding the
the earth has changed. For a
future dates of Easter. Easter is an
Common Era. This can mean
geologist, an era might last
important Christian holiday that occurs
“Before the Common Era,”
millions of years. For our
at different times during the spring
“Before the Common Era,” or
purposes, an era will be any
based on the cycle of the moon. At that
“Before the Christian Era.”
significant period of time.
time, many Romans numbered years
Most people use the
For example, you are in the
from the reign of Emperor Diocletian.
Western Calendar today, but
middle school era of your life.
Diocletian instigated the persecution of
other calendars are used for
You may see photographs of
Christians, so Dionysius dated his table
cultural and religious
people wearing different
from the birth of Jesus Christ.
purposes. The Islamic
styles of clothing that reflect
Dionysius calculated that Christ was
calendar is based on the cycle
the era when the pictures
born 525 years before his time, so the
of the moon, so it is ten or
were taken. An epoch is a
monk identified the year he wrote the
eleven days shorter than the
particular moment that
table as anno Domini 525, which
Western calendar. The first
marks the beginning or the
translates to the year of the Lord 525.
year of the Islamic calendar is
end of an era. Your
Later scholars studied the Christian
the year the prophet
thirteenth birthday is the
Bible and concluded that Jesus was
Muhammad and his followers
epoch that begins your
likely born between four and six years
migrated from Mecca to
teenage years.
earlier than Dionysius’ calculation.
Medina. On a Western
Name:
Date:
Homework
5-B
Answer in complete sentences
*1. Aristotle lived about 300 years before the Common Era. Explain why he did not know he was living
before the Common Era.
2. What does AD refer to? What does it mean?
3. What do CE and BCE stand for?
4. How many decades are in a century? How many decades are in a millennium?
*5. According to the Western calendar, what day came after December 31, 1BC? (You do not have to write out
this answer in a complete sentence.)
*6. We have had many eras in American history, some are named for struggles (the Civil Rights Era), wars,
(the World War II Era) or music (the Rock Era or the Disco Era). How would you name the era of American
history that includes 2014? Please explain why you named this era. This is a very challenging question, so
you will earn full credit so long as you have written your answer in a complete sentence.
*7. Many people consider the beginning of middle school to be part of your “’tween” era. ‘Tween is short for
between is gets its name because you are no longer a child but not yet a teenager. In your opinion, what are
the beginning and ending epochs of your “’tween” years?
Timeline
Mark the appropriate points on the timeline
BC
AD
700 600 500 400 300 200 100 1 1 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100
A = Aristotle’s birth in 384BC
B = AD1492, the year Columbus first sailed to America
C = AD????, the year you were born
D = AD2014
*This is a higher order learning question. You must answer the question to the best of your ability, but any reasonable
answer will be graded as correct.