Convert numbers to and from Roman numerals
Numbers above 3,999 use vinculum notation: a line above a numeral multiplies its value by 1,000.
So VCCCXVIII = 5,318.
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Did you know?
Before Rome: Etruscan Tally Marks
Roman numerals didn't start in Rome. The system evolved from Etruscan tally marks used in central Italy centuries before the Roman Republic. The stroke I for one finger, V for an open hand, X for two hands crossed — these were counting gestures turned into written symbols. Rome adopted and formalized what was already a working system.
Read more →Cornerstones and Permanence
Walk through any old city center and you'll find Roman numerals carved into stone: MCMXXIV on a courthouse, MDCCCLXXVI on a church. A cornerstone reading "1924" looks like a label. One reading MCMXXIV looks like a declaration. The angular shapes — all straight lines, no curves — are ideal for carving and engraving, weathering centuries of rain and wind.
Read more →Where do Roman numerals come from?
It is thought Roman numerals come from hand signals and tally marks. The stroke I represents a finger, the V represents the gap between thumb and fingers for five, and the X represents hands crossed for ten. The L, C, D, and M come from modifications of Greek letters like chi, theta, and phi to represent 50, 100, 500, and 1,000. Over time, these marks changed into the Latin letters people recognize today. There is no 0 in the Roman alphabet, as the concept for the number 0 didn't fully develop until India invented it around 600 CE / 10600 HE.