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*Ab urbe condita* translates from Latin as "from the founding of the City" and refers specifically to the founding of Rome in 753 BC. This date serves as a chronological framework for Roman history, with years being counted as 'AUC' (Anno Urbis Conditae), indicating years from Rome's founding. For instance, the year 1 BC corresponds to AUC 753, while AD 1 corresponds to AUC 754. Roman historians and scholars often utilized this dating system to reference significant events, providing a uniquely Roman perspective on history and timekeeping. It emphasizes Roma's centrality to historical events and the empire's grand narrative.

The Anno Domini system was introduced by the monk Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525. He created this system to calculate Easter's date, but he did not employ the *Ab urbe condita* convention. Instead, he established his own timeline based on the Diocletian era, which started from AD 293. The AUC year 1 corresponds to AD 754, marking a significant transition in calendrical systems from *AUC* to AD. While *AUC* remained in Roman documentation and discussions during the Middle Ages, it was increasingly supplanted by the Anno Domini counting, an approach that ultimately gained global acceptance.

Numerous significant events in Roman history are recorded using *Ab urbe condita*. Notable examples include the foundation of the Kingdom of Rome in AUC 1 (753 BC), the establishment of the Roman Republic (AUC 244, 510 BC), the establishment of the Julian calendar (AUC 709, 45 BC), and Augustus becoming the first Roman emperor (AUC 727, 27 BC). The system not only contextualized these events but reinforced the importance of the city of Rome as the epicenter of Roman identity and governance. The first millennium celebration in AD 248, notably commemorated by Emperor Philip the Arab, particularly emphasized this dating system's significance.

During antiquity, the date *Ab urbe condita* was significant for recording events in the Roman calendar. However, the most common method of date identification was to refer to the names of consuls in office for that year, a practice widely employed until the later periods. The Varronian chronology, established by Marcus Terentius Varro in the 1st century BC, further aided in formalizing the AUC dating method. Notably, celebrations to commemorate the anniversary of Rome's founding began under Emperor Claudius, marking significant milestones like in AD 47, the 800th anniversary of Rome.

The cultural impact of *Ab urbe condita* was significant, particularly during the Renaissance when historians and scholars began reviving ancient texts. The AUC system, embedded in the works of ancient authors like Livy and Polybius, provided a structured timeline that Renaissance scholars adopted in their literary and historical analyses. This approach led to a mistaken belief that AUC was widely used in the ancient period. In reality, while it had its place, many historical sources primarily referenced specific consuls or events rather than employing the *AUC* date, thus shaping the narrative of Roman history from a detailed yet sometimes misrepresented framework.