On a recently proposed dating of the foundation of Julia Augusta Taurinorum (Torino)

TL;DR

This paper critically examines a recent claim that the foundation of Augusta Taurinorum was on 30 January 9 BC, demonstrating that the proposed date based on astronomical calculations is impossible within the given framework.

Contribution

The paper refutes the recent astronomical dating of Augusta Taurinorum's foundation, clarifying the inconsistency with the Julian calendar and historical records.

Findings

The proposed Julian date of 30 January 9 BC is incompatible with the historical framework.

Astronomical calculations do not support the proposed foundation date.

The dating hypothesis in recent preprints is invalid based on calendar analysis.

Abstract

Recently, a preprint [arXiv:1901.08545] and a series of news announced that Torino, as the roman Augusta Taurinorum, was founded on 30 January 9 BC. The assumption is based on the coincidence of the Julian date, obtained by means of astronomical calculations, and the date of the inauguration, by Augustus, of the Ara Pacis in Rome (historical date). Here we show that, in the framework proposed in [1], the abovementioned date of the foundation is impossible. The impossibility is based on the following fact. The Julian date (30 January 9 BC), proposed by the authors in [arXiv:1901.08545], cannot definitely be the historical 30 January 9 BC of the Julian Calendar.