Roman Numeral Origins and List from I to CI

Roman Numeral Origins and List from I to CI Manual Origin of the Roman for 5 [If youve forgotten what Roman Numerals look like, theyre listed below.] J. E. Sandys describes the origins of Roman numerals, in Latin Epigraphy. He says the original numeral was a line to stand for 1 and a representation of a hand that looks like a V to stand for 5. The X (10) is two hands joined or one v atop a second v turned upside down. However plausible that sounds considering the human tendency to use our digits and hands for counting, there is an alternative explanation. Etruscan and Greek Origin for Roman Numbers The X was similar to the Etruscan symbol for 10, the top half of which was adopted for 5. Ancient Chalcidic (Greek) symbols were added: one came to look like an L for 50 and the other was the Greek phi (ÃŽ ¦) that became the curved M (1000) symbol that was sometimes written like our symbol for infinity. Gradual Changes in the Roman Numerals To make the number 10,000 the phi was surrounded by an outside circle. A third circle made it 100,000. The right half of these symbols meant half, so half of the phi, a D meant 500, as used by Cicero. But towards the end of the Republic a horizontal bar above a numeral meant that number in the thousands, so a V with a bar on top meant 5,000, and a D with a bar on top meant 500,000. More on the Higher Roman Numerals Somewhat surprisingly, Sandys says that M was not used for 1000 before the second century A.D., except before p for mile milia passuum. Sandys says the original symbol for 100 was probably a Chalcidic theta (ÃŽËœ) and became a C. The fact that the word in Latin for 100, centum, began with a C made the symbol especially appropriate. Sources on Roman Numerals In addition to J. E. Sandys Latin Epigraphy, Mommsen is another source on the topic of Roman Numerals. For more recent work on Roman numerals, see The Origin of the Latin Numerals 1 to 1000, by Paul Keyser. American Journal of Archaeology Vol. 92, No. 4 (Oct., 1988), pp. 529-546. Also, see: Roman NumerationThe numbers, how to decline them, and the hours of the day. List of Roman Numerals from I to CI 1 I2 II3 III4 IV​5 V6 VI7 VII8 VIII9 IX10 X11 XI12 XII13 XIII14 XIV15 XV16 XVI17 XVII18 XVIII19 XIX20 XX21 XXI22 XXII23 XXIII24 XXIV25 XXV26 XXVI27 XXVII28 XXVIII29 XXIX30 XXX31 XXXI32 XXXII33 XXXIII34 XXXIV35 XXXV36 XXXVI37 XXXVII39 XXXIX38 XXXVIII40 XL41 XLI29 XXIX43 XLIII44 LIV45 XLV46 XLVI47 XLVII48 XLVIII49 XLIX50 L51 LI52 LII53 LIII54 LIV55 LV56 LVI57 LVII58 LVIII59 LIX60 LX61 LXI62 LXII63 LXIII64 LXIV65 LXV66 LXVI67 LXVII68 LXVIII69 LXIX70 LXX71 LXXI72 LXXII73 LXXIII74 LXXIV75 LXXV76 LXXVI77 LXXVII78 LXXVIII79 LXXIX80 LXXX81 LXXXI82 LXXXII83 LXXXIII84 LXXXIV85 LXXXV86 LXXXVI87 LXXXVII88 LXXXVIII89 LXXXIX90 XC91 XCI92 XCII93 XCIII94 XCIV95 XCV96 XCVI97 XCVII98 XCVIII99 XCIX100 C101 CI