Chapter 1
The notches on the stick
Chapter 2
The rules of the Roman road
Chapter 3
Doing math without a pen
Chapter 4
The modern survival guide
YOUR GOAL
Master of Decoding the secret math of Roman letters
Ch 3 · Doing math without a pen
sonia Roman Abacus Arithmetic
Slide the bronze, slide the bronze / We do the math with no pen in our hands.
Fun Fact
Calculi counting: Scribes used small limestone pebbles called calculi to calculate on boards, which gave us our modern word 'calculate.'
Glossary
abacus (noun)
A manual device used for making mathematical calculations by sliding counters along rods or in grooves. Ancient Romans performed arithmetic using portable bronze boards, only writing down the final results as numerals.
A manual device used for making mathematical calculations by sliding counters along rods or in grooves. Ancient Romans performed arithmetic using portable bronze boards, only writing down the final results as numerals.
Quiz
How did Roman tax collectors keep track of temporary calculations before writing final tallies?
Quiz
Which mathematical concept is missing from Roman numerals that makes column-based addition impossible?
Quiz
Why did medieval European merchants prefer Roman numerals over Arabic numerals for ledger books?
Quiz
What does the Latin word 'calculi,' which inspired our word 'calculate,' actually mean?
Quiz
What was the name of the large checkered table used in medieval England for tax calculations?