The Romans had their _dies fasti_, corresponding to the modern court days
in England. On such days, of which there were thirty-eight in the year,
it was lawful for the prætor to administer justice and to pronounce the
three words, _Do, dico, addico_, “I give laws, declare right, and adjudge
losses.”
The days on which the courts were not held were called _nefasti_ (from
_ne_ and _fari_), because the three words could not then be legally
spoken by the prætor. But these days came to be regarded as unlucky, a
fact rendered evident by an expression of Horace. The Romans also classed
as unfortunate the days immediately following the calends, nones, and
ides of each month. Unlucky days were termed _dies atri_, because they
were marked in the calendar with black charcoal, the lucky ones being
indicated by means of white chalk. There were also days which were
thought especially favorable for martial operations, but the anniversary
of a national misfortune was considered very inauspicious. Thus after the
defeat of the Romans by the Gauls under Brennus on the banks of the river
Allia, July 16, 390 B. C., that date was given a prominent place among
the black days of the calendar. But not every general was influenced by
such superstitions. Lucullus, when an attempt was made to dissuade him
from attacking Tigranes, king of Armenia (whom he defeated B. C. 69),
because upon that date the Cimbri had vanquished a Roman army, replied,
“_I_ will make it a day of _good_ omen for the Romans.”[412] The Roman
ladies, we are told, gave less heed to the unlucky days of their own
calendar than to the works of Egyptian astrologers, among whom Petosiris
was their favorite authority, when they wished to ascertain the proper
day, and even the hour, for the performance of household and other
duties.[413]
Horace (book ii. ode xiii.) thus apostrophizes a tree, by whose fall he
narrowly escaped being crushed at Sabinum: “Thou cursed tree! whoever he
was that first planted thee did it surely on an unlucky day, and with a
sacrilegious hand.”
The Latin writer, Macrobius, stated that when one of the _nundinæ_ or
market days fell upon New Year’s, it was considered very unfortunate. In
such an event the Emperor Augustus, who was very superstitious, adopted
the method of inserting an extra day in the previous year and subtracting
one from that ensuing, thus preserving the regularity of the Julian
style of reckoning time. Ordinarily, however, New Year’s Day was deemed
auspicious, and on that day, as now, people were accustomed to wish each
other happiness and good fortune.