Numbers |
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Roman numerals are still used today. You can see them on clocks, in books and even on the television if you look carefully. |
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| Did you
know? Look closely at the clock face. What do you notice about the number 4? |
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| Usually ‘4’ is written IV in Roman numerals but on many clocks and watches it is IIII. | |
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No-one knows exactly why. Here are several ideas... Louis XIV, a French king, told his clockmaker that IV was wrong and insisted that he change it to IIII. As he was the king no-one dared disobey him! |
IV in Latin are the first two letters of the name of the Roman god Jupiter. It was not really until the third century AD that IV was used as a number as people thought the god might be insulted! Or maybe IIII just looks better opposite VIII on a clock face. |
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