THE WEEK. 



The series of HOURS without reference to days were resolved 

 into periods of seven, each dedicated to a planet. Thus the first 

 hour was dedicated to SATURN", the next to JUPITER, the third to 

 MARS, and so on. The day, however, being divided into twenty- 

 four hours, which is not a multiple of seven, it followed necessarily 

 that each successive day would begin with an hour dedicated to a 

 different planet. Let us see then how the days would, according 

 to such a system, succeed each other. 



The day which begins with the hour dedicated to Saturn would 

 evidently end with the hour dedicated to Mars, for the twenty- 

 four hours would consist of three complete periods of seven, and 

 the twenty-fourth hour would be the third of the fourth period and 

 would consequently be the hour dedicated to Mars. The first hour 

 of the next day would be that dedicated to the Sun. In like 

 manner this day beginning with the hour dedicated to the Sun,, 

 and consisting of three hours more than three complete periods, 

 would end with the hour dedicated to Mercury, and the next day 

 would begin with the hour dedicated to the Moon. 



The succeeding day would in like manner commence with the 

 third in order from the Moon, that is, Mars ; the next with the 

 third in order from Mars, that is Mercury ; the next with the 

 third in order from Mercury, that is Jupiter ; the next with the 

 third in order from Jupiter, that is Venus ; and after Venus the 

 series would recommence with the hour dedicated to Saturn. 



Thus in each successive period of seven days, the first hour of 

 each successive day of the period would be dedicated to the 

 planets in the following order : 



1. SATURN 



2. THE SUN 



3. THE MOON 



5. MERCURY 



6. JUPITER 



7. VENUS. 



4. MARS 



The Latin names of the days are in accordance with this, 



1. DIES SATURNI (Satiirn's day) 



2. DIES SOLIS (Sun's day) 



3. DIES LUNAB (Moon's day) 



4. DIES MARTIS (Mars' day) 



5. DIES MERCURII (Mercury's day) 



6. DIES Jovis (Jupiter's day) 



7. DIES VENERIS (Venus' day). 



These names are retained in the English language for SATUR- 

 DAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY. The names for the days dedicated to 

 Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus have been taken from Saxon 

 divinities. 



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