Before 44 BC, the month of
July was known as
Quintilis, from the
Latin "
quintus" for fifth. It was renamed by the
Roman consul Marcus Antonius in honor of
Julius Caesar, who was born on July 15th. Also, in 8 BC the month of
Sextilis was renamed in honor of Julius's successor,
Augustus Caesar by the
Roman Senate, even though Augustus was born in
September.
Sextilis is based on "
sextus",
Latin for sixth.
The next Caesar, Tiberius, put an end to the Senate's month renaming, with the remark, "And what will you do if there are thirteen Caesars?". Various other emperors, including Caligula and Domitian, attempted to rename the months, but they failed to last.