MAY, the fifth month in the year, reckoning from January; and the third, supposing the year to begin with March, as the Romans anciently did. It was called Maius by Romulus, in respect to the senators and nobles of his city, who were named maiores; as the following month was called Junius, in honour of the youth of Rome, (in honorum juniorum) who served him in the war; though some are of opinion that it was thus called from Maia, the mother of Mercury, to whom they offered sacrifice on the first day of the month; and Papius derives it from Madius, eo quod tunc terra maceat. In this month the sun enters Gemini, and the plants of the earth in general begin to flower.