Hellenic Calendar

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Hellenic Calendar

Postby Quintus Aurelius Orcus on Mon Jun 30, 2003 10:33 am

Hi
I will post some relevant info on the most well known calendar from Greece: the Athenian- Attic calendar. There is also a Theban calender, but right now i shall adres the Attic one.
Hellenic Athenian Calendar

The Hellenic new-year start at the end of the month June begins of the month July and is called Hekatombaion. This calendar is based upon the Athenian calendar. There are other calendars of other city- states, but the Athenian one is the most intact and preserved. The Athenians use a calendar that started at sundown on the corresponding civil date. This way many Hellenic festivals were observed the next civil day. This way of counting days was common in ancient cultures (even the Celts and Hebrews use it). It wasn't uncommon for festivals to be observed at a time convenient for a given community, so a rigid attitude towards the given dates here is not needed. The ancient Greeks use the Olympic games as a reference point to count years, so every 4 years was an Olympiad and they use the year 776 B.C.E. as a starting point of the Olympic Games and Olympiads. Right now (2001-2005) we are in the 3rd year of the 695th Olympiad.
These are the Attic months:
Hekatombaion: July- August
Metageitnion: August- September
Boedromion: September- October
Puanepsion: October- November
Maimakterion: November- December
Poseideon: December- January
Gamelion: January- February
Anthesterion: February- March
Elaphebolion: March- April
Mounikhion: April- May
Thargelion: May- June
Skiraphorion: June- July

The Theban Calendar

There is another Hellenic calendar as i have heard of a Boeotian/ Theban one. This calendar corresponds more with the labours of Herakles. There are 360 days. The 5 last days are considered the most sacred and are left open to celebrate the death and resurrection of Herakles.
January-February: Nemeaneon
February-March: Lerneon
March-April: Archaedeon
April-May: Erymantheon
May-June: Augeon
June-July: Stymphaleon
July-August: Creteon
August-September: Diomedeon
Sept-Oct: Hippeon
Oct-Nov: Gereon
Nov-Dec: Hespereon
Dec-Jan: Cerbreon
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