The Leaps and Myths of Leap Year
How the Roman calendar and the solar cycles were aligned
In 45 BC, Rome was the world’s heart, beating at the rhythm of conquests and marches of legions led by emperor Julius Caesar, who traced his bloodline to the origins of Rome and claimed to be a descendant of the goddess Venus through the Trojan prince Aeneas and his son Iulus.
Known for his military genius and the breadth of his empire, Caesar added one day every four years to the Julian calendar in 45 DC to bring organization to the complex, confused, and civil war-weary Roman Republic, a leap that aligned humanity’s constructs with the cosmos. Giving the world the Leap Year.
The story of his origins and power suggests myths left behind by the passing of the centuries. Myths that wrapped his life in the legends of Rome, where gods whispered in the ears of men and destiny was dictated by the stars.
A life that inspired myths to justify his behaviors and power.
One of the myths speculated that Caesar had ventured into the Temple of Saturn, seeking the wisdom of the god of time.
There, amidst the flickering flames of candles, he was granted visions of Rome’s glory and instructions to reorder time.
