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Classics Teaching Resources |
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Remembering dates and other numbersMost people find it easier to remember words than numbers. To remember dates and other numbers, it is possible to convert them into numbers, using an ancient substitution code.
To remember any date, convert the figures into consonants using the above code. Then use those consonants, with any vowels you like, to form words or phrases. Follow the sounds rather than the spelling. Example 1: William of Orange arrived in England in 1688. 1688 = d ch f f. Perhaps 'Dutch fife', thinking of King Billy bringing the fife to the Orangemen! Example 2: Dates of the Peloponnesian War. At the start the Athenians 'rammed' the Spartans with their triremes. (r - m - d = 431) In the end, the Spartans came to Athens shouting 'Erase her!' (r - s - r = 404) Top of page |
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