- published: 07 Jun 2013
- views: 6316628
The names of the days of the seven-day week in many languages are derived from the names of the classical planets in Hellenistic astrology, which were in turn named after contemporary deities, a system introduced in the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity. In some other languages, the days are named for corresponding deities of the regional culture, either beginning with Sunday or with Monday. In the international standard ISO 8601, Monday is treated as the first day of the week.
Between the 1st and 3rd centuries the Roman Empire gradually replaced the eight-day Roman nundinal cycle with the seven-day week. Our earliest evidence for this new system is a Pompeiian graffito referring to the 6th February (viii idus Februarius) of the year AD 60 as dies solis ("Sunday"). Another early witness is a reference to a lost treatise by Plutarch, written in about AD 100, which addressed the question of Why are the days named after the planets reckoned in a different order from the actual order?.
Monday left it's callus on my feet
I tried so to keep up
It kept dragging me behind
Tuesday lashed it's blisters upon my hands
I wish to clench them in defense
But the joints wouldn't bend
Wednesday cracked it's whip upon my back
I hunched over in pain
My bones began to ache
And I fell to the floor, but nobody came
When I fell to the floor
I got back up again
Thursday's weather cut across my face
Those lines never went away
And my hair was stripped to grey
Friday tried to wipe my tears away from my eyes
But still I had to cry
I had to nothing to show for my life
But these calluses and all of these blisters
These aching bones and these lines upon my face
This frail, decaying frame
Saturday brought grapes up to my bed
Said, “Rest your weary head
Just forgive and soon forget”
Sunday left me roses at my feet
It said, “Boy, you're free to leave”