 When the Ottoman Empire adopted the Julian calendar, in the form of the Rumi calendar, the month names reflected Ottoman tradition.The principal method used by the Romans to identify a year for dating purposes was to name it after the two consuls who took office in it, the eponymous period in question being the consular year.Beginning in 153 BC, consuls began to take office on 1 January, thus synchronizing the commencement of the consular and calendar years.