§416. Then came the midday siesta, so general that the streets were as deserted as at midnight, and one of the Roman writers fixes upon this as the proper time for a ghost story. Of course there were no sessions of the courts or meetings of the senate on the public holidays, and then the hours generally given to business might be spent at the theater or the circus or other games. As a matter of fact the Romans of the better class rather avoided these shows, unless they were officially connected with them, and many of them devoted the holidays to visiting their country estates. After the siesta, which lasted for an hour or more, the Roman was ready for his regular athletic exercise and bath, either in the Campus and the Tiber (§317) or in one of the public bathing establishments (§365). The bath proper (§367) was followed by the lounge (§377), perhaps a promenade in the court, which gave him a chance for a chat with a friend, or an opportunity to hear the latest news, to consult business associates, in short to talk over any of the things that men now discuss at their clubs. After this came the great event of the day, the dinner (§303), at his own house or at that of some friend, followed immediately by retirement for the night. Even on the days spent in the country this programme would not be materially changed, and the Roman took with him into the provinces the customs of his home life so far as possible. [Illustration: FIGURE 192. ANCIENT CALENDAR] §417. Hours of the Day.--The day itself was divided into twelve hours (_hōrae_), each being one-twelfth of the time between sunrise and sunset and varying therefore with the season of the year. The length of the day and hour at Rome in different times of the year is shown in the following table: Month Length Length | Month Length Length and Day of Day of Hour | and Day of Day of Hour --------------------------------+-------------------------------- Dec. 23 8° 54' 44' 30" | June 25 15° 6' 1° 15' 30" Feb. 6 9° 50' 49' 10" | Aug. 10 14° 10' 1° 10' 50" March 23 12° 00' 1° 00' 00" | Sept. 25 12° 00' 1° 00' 00" May 9 14° 10' 1° 10' 50" | Nov. 9 9° 50' 49' 10" §418. Taking the days of June 25 and December 23 as respectively the longest and shortest of the year, the following table gives the conclusion of each hour for summer and winter: