Day (Division Of The, Into Hours). The day began to be divided into hours from the year 293 B.C., when L. Papirius Cursor erected a sun-dial in the temple of Quirinus at Rome. Previous tc the invention of water-clocks, 168 B.C., the time was called at Rome by public criers. The Chinese divide the day into twelve parts of two hours each. The Italians reckon twenty-four hours round, instead of two divisions of twelve hours each as we do. In England, the measurement of time was alike uncertain and difficult; one expedient was by wax candles, three inches burning an hour, and six wax candles burning twenty-four hours : these candles were invented by Alfred, clocks and hour-glasses not being then known in England,-A..D. 886.