The Base 60 counting system was in place in the Seleucid Dynasty by the time the leader of the Greek
Empire, Alexander the Great, died in 323 BCE. When the generals in his army divided up the empire,
General Seleucids and the Greeks traded with each other, which helped each culture share ideas too.
The Greeks adopted the Babylonian timekeeping sysyterm and later passed it on the Romans, who spread
it throughout Europe.
In addition to giving us the base 60 counting system, the seleucid Dynasty may have been the first
in the Middle East to keep a continuous record of years as they passed. Before Seleucus took over,
these countries tracked years only by referring to who ruled the country at that time. You might say
that you were born during the "fifth year of Darius," for example, and everyone who lived in the
same area would know what you meant. However, anyone outside the country would be confused and not
know how old you were. What if your mother said she was born in the "second year of Ford?" Does this
make it easier or harder to know how old she is?