The Romans used the letters for numbers

I

lI

Ill

IV

V

Vl

Vll

Vlll

lX

X

Xl

Xll

C

The Romans used the letter M for 1000

M

And they had a real problem writing BIG Numbers

Let’s write The Roman Way

M

MM

MMM

MMMM

MMMMM

MMMMMM

MMMMMMM

MMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM

They had to write M 10 times

Now let’s write the Roman Way

MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

Now let’s write the Roman Way

MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM

So when the Romans wanted to write a million they had to write the letter M a thousand times

Can you guess how the Romans wrote the year 2012

MMXIl