12 BC became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. <onlyinclude> </onlyinclude> 12 BC Year 12 BC was either a common year starting on Saturday, Sunday or Monday or a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar (the sources differ, see leap year error for further information) and a common year starting on Friday of the Proleptic Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Quirinius (or, less frequently, year 742 "Ab urbe condita"). The denomination 12 BC for this year has been used
Roman calendar role as "pontifex maximus", ordered a reformation of the calendar in 46. This was undertaken by a group of scholars apparently including the Alexandrian Sosigenes and the Roman M. Flavius. Its main lines involved the insertion of ten additional days throughout the calendar and regular intercalation of a single leap day every fourth year in order to bring the Roman calendar into close agreement with the solar year. The year 46 was the last of the old system and included 3 intercalary months, the first inserted in February and two more—' and '—before the kalends of December. After Caesar's assassination,