Ab urbe condita

Quick Facts: Who was Ab urbe condita?

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Ab urbe condita

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A Roman dating system indicating years elapsed since the traditional founding of Rome in 753 BC.

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Origins & Early Life

Ab urbe condita (Latin: [ab ˈʊrbɛ ˈkɔndɪtaː]; 'from the founding of the City'), or anno urbis conditae (Latin: [ˈannoː ˈʊrbɪs ˈkɔndɪtae̯]; 'in the year since the city's founding'), abbreviated as AUC or AVC in Classical Latin inscriptions, expresses a date in years since 753 BC, the traditional founding of Rome. It is an expression used in antiquity and by classical historians to refer to a given year in Ancient Rome. In reference to the traditional year of the foundation of Rome, the year 1 BC would be written AUC 753, whereas AD 1 would be AUC 754. The foundation of the Roman Empire in 27 BC would be AUC 727. The current year AD 2026 would be AUC 2779.

Career & Major Achievements

Usage of the term was more common during the Renaissance, when editors sometimes added AUC to Roman manuscripts they published, giving the false impression that the convention was commonly used in antiquity. In reality, the dominant method of identifying years in Roman times was to name the two consuls who held office that year. In late antiquity, regnal years were also in use, as in Roman Egypt during the Diocletian era after AD 293, and in the Byzantine Empire from AD 537, following a decree by Justinian. Prior to the Roman state's adoption of the Varronian chronology – created by Titus Pomponius Atticus and Marcus Terentius Varro – there were many different dates posited for when the city was founded. This state of confusion required picking a canonical founding date for one to use an AUC date.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Varronian chronology, constructed from fragmentary sources and demonstrably about four years off of absolute events c. 340 BC, placed the founding of the city on 21 April 753 BC. This date, likely arrived at by mechanical calculation but accepted with a variance of one year by the Augustan-era fasti Capitolini, has become the traditional date. From the time of Claudius (r. AD 41–54) onward, this calculation superseded other contemporary calculations. Celebrating the anniversary of the city became part of imperial propaganda.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 2026: 2026 Milestone — The current year AD 2026 would be AUC 2779.

Notable Quotes by Ab urbe condita

“sed magis elegimus ab incarnatione Domini nostri Jesu Christi annorum tempora praenotare”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Ab urbe condita

True or False: “The primary method for identifying years in Roman times, even when AUC was used, was naming the two consuls who held office that year.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): While AUC was known, the dominant and most common way to date a year during actual Roman periods was by citing the names of the two serving consuls.

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