Question 1

What's the largest Roman numeral?

Accepted Answer

Standard Roman numerals only go up to 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX). For larger numbers the Romans used a horizontal bar (vinculum) to multiply by 1,000, but that notation isn't supported by most modern uses, so we cap conversions at 3999.

Question 2

Why is 4 'IV' and not 'IIII'?

Accepted Answer

Subtractive notation. When a smaller numeral comes before a larger one, you subtract: IV = 5 − 1 = 4, IX = 10 − 1 = 9, XL = 50 − 10 = 40, XC = 100 − 10 = 90. (Clock faces sometimes still use IIII for visual symmetry.)

Question 3

What does each letter mean?

Accepted Answer

I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000. So MMXXIV = 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 10 + 4 = 2024.

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