It may be shocking to see the words together year, year and ring because they have very different meanings, but these three words are etymologically related as some authors who all come from anus circle. Let's see them in pairs:
(Image: Eon and Tellus surrounded by four children representing the seasons personified Roman mosaic of a villa Sentinum, early third century , Munich Glyptotek (Inv. W504). Wikipedia)
anus "ring" and Annus "lamb"
classic Las Fuentes tells us that the word anus, "ring" is derived Annus, "year "with expressive geminación by the idea of \u200b\u200ba circle, the period of solar revolution.
- Varro of Latin VI, 8.
Tempus ad mist the mist of a sun revenue, vocatur Annus , quod ut Parvi circuli anuli , sic magni dicebantur circit ani , unde annus.
This is also the opinion of most modern authors as Angel Pariente in phonetics and morphology studies America (Universidad de Salamanca, 1949). also Lewis and Short dictionary emphasizes this relationship.
Nonetheless, other authors such as Ernout-Meillet for whom the word annus (year) has no relation to anus (ring, ring). Explain the spelling of the latter double n , annus and annulus under the influence of word annus , and is due to a false etymological relationship .
Anus "circle" " year " anulus and "ring"
Moreover the word anus, "ring" acquired the meaning of " year" going to be a euphemism for cULus , Which was considered more rude. So Cicero in his letter Ad Family XXII this application patent us
"Anum" Appello alieno nomine: cur? if turpe est, ne quidem alienate, if non est, suo Photius.
Therefore to say ring was used diminutive of anus, anulus anellus even "little ring" as we read in San Isidoro and Horace.
San Isidore, Etymologies XIX, 32 : ring name is a diminutive form of anus.
Horace Satirae, 2, 7, 9 : cum anellis tribes. with three rings.
Who was the first ring?
He says San Isidoro ( Eti. XIX, 32 ) than men began to wear rings imitating the Titan Prometheus.
Hand sculpture Lucentum forum. MARQ).
is said that Prometheus was the first strapped on his finger with an iron ring that was enshrined in a pebble. Following his example the men began to wear rings.
According to the myth Prometheus was chained in the Caucasus by Zeus who promised to unleash never yet managed to free him Hercules. As this increased the exploits of his son, Zeus allowed but for their oath had not been in vain ordered Prometheus to carry a ring made of steel chains and thus a tie still steel titan with his joining the rock.
Among the Greeks the first written testimony which mentioned a ring is the episode narrated by Herodotus on the ring of Polycrates in Stories III, 41. Polycrates of Samos was a man so fortunate and blessed by the gods, who, having thrown overboard a ring of great value he possessed, he was returned later by a fisherman who had caught the fish that had swallowed. Amasis of Egypt thought that such a man would one day be punished by the gods, jealous of success and happiness of a man. This was reason enough for him to break the covenant of hospitality, he did not want that any future bad luck of his ally turned against him.
seems that the custom of wearing rings the Romans came from Sabine or Etruscan according to the testimony of Pliny (Naturalis Historia XXXIII) that the statues of kings Numa and Servius Tullio wore rings on the fourth finger of the left hand . And this seems to be the most common location, San Isidoro gives us reason
Men originally wore the rings on the fourth finger from the thumb, because he runs a vein that goes to the heart and the old thought it was necessary to report them and decorate it in a special way
In sponsalia Romans, in which it held the promise of future nup stances, the sponsus or promised gifts to the bride, as a guarantee of commitment, present value including highlights the anulus pronubus, ring of gold or iron, with a gem studded, which was also placed on the ring finger of his left hand. According to Aulus Gelli, Noctes Atticae X, 10 by the following
know that the ancient Greeks wore the ring on the finger of his left hand next to the pinky. It also said that the Romans used mostly rings as well. Apion says in his books on Egypt, this is the cause of this custom because, striped and open human bodies, as was customary in Egypt, which the Greeks call anatomy, was found leaving the fine nerve finger we have said and touches your heart man. Moreover, it seems a fumble that this finger was the best to be decorated with such honor, for its content and for being connected to the main part of the heart.
However, this explanation of Aulus Gelli is tinged with a sentimentality that has no place in most Roman betrothal in which the woman is a taxable person who is not involved in choosing your future husband.
Rather, it is visible to all the commitments established by proof tangible, the ring was placed on the left since Etruscan times it bothered less to the daily chores, as we read in Macrobius Saturnalia 7, 13, 7 , who through Ateia Capito says that fashion to carry precious gems made
be left free from the use of right hand rings, which are relegated from the left, which is idle, so that with the frequent movement and work of the right hand did not break the stones.
delivery legally ring was a gift without legal commitment, but for Tertullian does have the guarantee of a future marriage, because in his of idolatry when talking about the sponsalia to indicate the solemnity used as an equivalent commitment sponsalia and anulus.
Similarly Juvenal Sat 6, 25 refers to the ring and :
And maybe you put the finger and the pledge of commitment
anulus This is our current pronubus engagement ring gives the guy's girlfriend and this leads in the left hand ring as a clear heritage of our classical culture.
rings for the Romans had a great symbolic, emphasizing birth natalitius anulus, engagement wedding pronubus anulus, social status, anulus aureus, the ring of soldiers, but also for practical purposes as a key ring, as a box, a seal, as an amulet .... from which we will see its own characteristics and general curiosities, and their survival today.
