You’ve seen it. Maybe it was on a dusty grandfather clock in your aunt's living room, or perhaps you were squinting at the fine print on a monument in a public square. XXIII. It looks like a secret code or a logic puzzle, but it’s just 23 in Roman numerals. Simple, right? Well, sort of.
Most people struggle with Roman numerals once they get past ten. We’re used to the Arabic system—0, 1, 2, 3—which is efficient, clean, and honestly, a lot less work for our brains. But Roman numerals have a specific rhythm. They’re additive. They’re visual. When you see XXIII, you aren't just looking at a number; you're looking at a tally of history.
The Breakdown: How XXIII Actually Works
Let's get the math out of the way first. It isn't complicated, but it does require a different way of thinking. To write 23 in Roman numerals, you have to break the number down into its constituent parts based on the symbols the Romans used.
The core symbols you need here are X and I.
- X represents 10.
- I represents 1.
To get to twenty-three, you basically just pile them up. You take two tens (XX) and add three ones (III). Put them together, and you get XXIII. There is no subtraction involved here, unlike the number 19 (XIX) or 24 (XXIV), where you have to place a smaller value before a larger one to indicate a reduction. 23 is a "pure" additive number. It’s straightforward. It’s honest.
Think about the physical act of carving these into stone. If you were a Roman stonemason in 50 BC, carving XXIII was a lot easier than carving something like XXXVIII (38). You just needed five straight vertical or diagonal strokes. It was efficient for the tools of the time.
🔗 Read more: Pink White Nail Studio Secrets and Why Your Manicure Isn't Lasting
Why 23 Still Matters in the Modern World
Why are we still talking about this? Seriously. We have calculators and smartphones. Why does 23 in Roman numerals still show up in our daily lives?
It’s about the "vibe." That’s the technical term—okay, maybe not technical, but it’s the truth. Roman numerals convey a sense of weight and permanence. When a movie studio puts the copyright date in Roman numerals at the end of the credits (which they still do), they aren't trying to be difficult. They’re signaling that this piece of art is part of a long tradition. If you see "Copyright MMXXIII," it just feels more official than "2023."
You’ll also find XXIII in:
- Super Bowl History: The NFL loves Roman numerals. While Super Bowl 23 happened back in 1989 (the 49ers beat the Bengals, by the way), the league continues to use this system to make every game feel like an epic Roman gladiatorial event.
- Clock Faces: Even though "IIII" is often used instead of "IV" for visual balance on clocks, the number 23 is often represented on 24-hour dials as XXIII.
- Tattoos: People love the aesthetic of XXIII. It’s a popular choice for birthdays (the 23rd of the month) or jersey numbers. If you're a Michael Jordan fan, you probably already have a weirdly emotional connection to this number.
Common Mistakes People Make
Humans love to overcomplicate things. I’ve seen people try to write 23 in Roman numerals as "IIV" (which is just wrong on every level) or "XXIII" with spaces in between.
The biggest mistake is confusing the placement of the "I." Remember, in the Roman system, the order is everything. Since 23 is 10 + 10 + 1 + 1 + 1, the smaller units must follow the larger ones. If you put them before, you're doing subtraction, and the Romans didn't subtract three units at once. You can't write "IXX" to mean 19; it has to be XIX.
💡 You might also like: Hairstyles for women over 50 with round faces: What your stylist isn't telling you
Another weird quirk? People often forget that Roman numerals don't have a zero. If you’re trying to write 23.0, you’re out of luck. The Romans handled fractions and decimals in a way that would make a modern math teacher cry, mostly using a duodecimal system based on twelve. But for our purposes, XXIII is a whole, solid integer.
The Psychology of Roman Numerals
There’s a reason we don’t use these for tax returns. Could you imagine trying to do long division with XXIII and VII? It would be a nightmare. The Roman system is inherently limited because it lacks a place-value system. In our standard Arabic numerals, the "2" in 23 means "two tens" because of where it sits. In XXIII, the "X" means ten regardless of where it is, you just happen to have two of them.
Despite this clunkiness, we cling to them. Researchers in cognitive psychology have noted that reading Roman numerals requires a different type of processing in the brain. You aren't just "recognizing" the number; you’re "decoding" it. That brief moment of translation creates a sense of prestige. It forces the reader to slow down.
Fun Fact: The 23rd Legion
History buffs might know that the number 23 has some baggage in ancient Rome. While there were many famous legions, like the Legio X Equestris, the "23rd" isn't a number that pops up with much glory. In fact, most of the classical Roman military structure capped out or shifted before a "Legio XXIII" became a household name like the others.
However, the number 23 itself was often associated with the Ides of March—or rather, the number of wounds Julius Caesar reportedly received. Suetonius, the Roman historian, famously wrote that Caesar was stabbed 23 times. So, in a way, XXIII is a number etched into the very end of the Roman Republic. It’s a number of transition.
📖 Related: How to Sign Someone Up for Scientology: What Actually Happens and What You Need to Know
How to Memorize it Without Trying
If you want to remember how to write 23 in Roman numerals without looking it up every time, just think of it as two "crosses" and three "sticks."
X = Cross (10)
X = Cross (10)
I = Stick (1)
I = Stick (1)
I = Stick (1)
Ten, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three.
Honestly, it’s one of the easier ones. You don't have to worry about the "V" (5) or the "L" (50) or the "C" (100). You’re just working with the basics.
Actionable Tips for Using XXIII
If you're planning on using Roman numerals for a design project, a tattoo, or just to look smart in a trivia game, keep these things in mind:
- Consistency is King: If you start a list with Roman numerals, stay with them. Don't mix "1." and "II." It looks messy.
- Check the Font: Some modern fonts make "XXIII" look like a row of picket fences. Use a serif font (like Times New Roman or Georgia) to ensure the "serifs" (the little feet on the letters) help distinguish the individual characters.
- Context Matters: Use XXIII for titles, dates, or formal outlines. Don't use it for quantities in a recipe. "Add XXIII ounces of flour" is a great way to ruin a cake and your reputation as a cook.
- Verification: Always double-check larger numbers. While 23 is simple, once you get into the hundreds (C) or thousands (M), it’s easy to flip a character and accidentally date your building to the year 1400 instead of 1900.
The persistence of XXIII in our culture is a testament to the power of tradition over efficiency. It’s not the fastest way to write a number, but it’s certainly one of the most enduring. Next time you see those three lines trailing two Xs, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking at—a small, sharp piece of the ancient world still living in the 21st century.