Model for 190-168

The analysis of individual years in this period leads to the following results:

• The absolute dates of A.U.C. 564 = 190, A.U.C. 565 = 189, A.U.C. 584 = 170, A.U.C. 585 = 169 and A.U.C 586 = 168 can be directly determined from the source evidence, as discussed under the individual years.

  From the eclipse data of A.U.C. 564 = 190 and A.U.C 586 = 168 it has long been known that there were 12 intercalations in these 22 years, 9 of 23 days and 3 of 22. Since A.U.C. 564 = 190 and A.U.C. 585 = 169 were also regular years there must have been at least three pairs of consecutive intercalary years.

  In light of these facts, the first of which has been known for a very long time, it is remarkable that reputable scholars can still choose to model these years as alternating ordinary and intercalary years with alternate 22 and 23 day intercalations, according to the description in Macrobius. Most recently, this model is followed by J. Briscoe, A Commentary on Livy Books 38-40, 17. The result is that by the end of the period he considers, A.U.C. 575 = 179, he is very likely to be an intercalary cycle -- around 23 days -- early in his chronology.

• The absolute dates of A.U.C. 566 = 188, most of A.U.C. 567 = 187, A.U.C. 582 = 172 and A.U.C. 583 = 171 can be fixed if the reconstruction of the Lex Acilia proposed here is accepted.

• The absolute dates of A.U.C. 577 = 177, A.U.C. 578 = 176 and most of A.U.C. 579 = 175 can be fixed if it is further accepted that the dating of a triumph to the Terminalia indicates that A.U.C. 579 = 175 was a candidate intercalary year.

• Finally, the absolute dates of A.U.C. 576 = 178 and A.U.C. 575 = 179 can be fixed if it is further accepted that the praetorian election for A.U.C. 178 was not held on a.d. VI Kal. Mart. A.U.C. 575 because it was a market day.

The remainder of the model is one possible solution consistent with the proposed Lex Acilia for the remaining years, determined by fixing locations for the three 377-day intercalary years. One must lie between A.U.C. 579 = 175 and A.U.C. 582 = 172; I have arbitrarily chosen A.U.C. 579 = 175. I have arbitrarily selected A.U.C. 567 = 187 and A.U.C. 572 = 182 for the other two. Application of the reconstruction of the Lex Acilia proposed here then requires that the remaining intercalary years after A.U.C. 564 = 190 were A.U.C. 568 = 186, A.U.C. 570 = 184, A.U.C. 573 = 181, A.U.C. 580 = 174.

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