<P> The Romans did not have records of their early calendars but , like modern historians , assumed the year originally began in March on the basis of the names of the months following June . The consul M. Fulvius Nobilior ( r . 189 BC ) wrote a commentary on the calendar at the Temple of Hercules Musarum that claimed January had been named for Janus because the god faced both ways , suggesting it had been instituted as a first month . It was , however , usually said to have been instituted along with February , whose nature and festivals suggest it had originally been considered the last month of the year . The consuls ' term of office -- and thus the order of the years under the republic -- seems to have changed several times . Their inaugurations were finally moved to 1 January ( Kal . Ian . ) in 153 BC to allow Q. Fulvius Nobilior to attack Segeda in Spain during the Celtiberian Wars , before which they had occurred on 15 March ( Eid . Mart . ) . There is reason to believe the inauguration date had been 1 May during the 3rd century BC until 222 BC and Livy mentions earlier inaugurations on 15 May ( Eid . Mai . ) , 1 July ( Kal . Qui . ) , 1 August ( Kal . Sex . ) , 1 October ( Kal. Oct . ) , and 15 December ( Eid . Dec . ) . Under the Julian calendar , the year began on 1 January but years of the Indiction cycle began on 1 September . </P>
<P> The Romans did not have records of their early calendars but , like modern historians , assumed the year originally began in March on the basis of the names of the months following June . The consul M. Fulvius Nobilior ( r . 189 BC ) wrote a commentary on the calendar at the Temple of Hercules Musarum that claimed January had been named for Janus because the god faced both ways , suggesting it had been instituted as a first month . It was , however , usually said to have been instituted along with February , whose nature and festivals suggest it had originally been considered the last month of the year . The consuls ' term of office -- and thus the order of the years under the republic -- seems to have changed several times . Their inaugurations were finally moved to 1 January ( Kal . Ian . ) in 153 BC to allow Q. Fulvius Nobilior to attack Segeda in Spain during the Celtiberian Wars , before which they had occurred on 15 March ( Eid . Mart . ) . There is reason to believe the inauguration date had been 1 May during the 3rd century BC until 222 BC and Livy mentions earlier inaugurations on 15 May ( Eid . Mai . ) , 1 July ( Kal . Qui . ) , 1 August ( Kal . Sex . ) , 1 October ( Kal. Oct . ) , and 15 December ( Eid . Dec . ) . Under the Julian calendar , the year began on 1 January but years of the Indiction cycle began on 1 September . </P>
what was the first month of the roman calendar
what was the first month of the roman calendar
March
March