You're Dead to Me

The History of Timekeeping (Radio Edit)

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Jul 15, 2023
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INSIGHT

Clocks: More Than Just Mechanical Devices

  • Clocks measure the passage of time and have existed for millennia.
  • The word "clock" comes from words meaning "bell," like "cloche" or "glocker."
ANECDOTE

Roman Sundial Heist

  • The Romans stole a sundial from Catania, Sicily, in 263 BCE.
  • They displayed it proudly in the Roman Forum, even though it wasn't calibrated for Rome.
ANECDOTE

Grumbling Romans

  • Romans were not universally thrilled with sundials.
  • Playwrights lamented sundials "cut[ting] and hack[ing]" their days into pieces.
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