Athenian Calendar
The Athenian Year (see. J.D. Mikalson, The Sacred and Civil Calendar of the Athenian Year, Princeton 1975) starts the day of the new moon after the Summer Solstice (which is on 21th June), that starts officially on the 1st month of Hekatombaiōn, and has 12 months, and their name are the following:
1. Hekatombaiōn (that is like July-August), Summer
2. Metageitniōn (August – September) Summer
3. Boedromiōn (September/October) Summer
4. Pyanepsiōn (October/November) Autumn
5. Maimakteriōn (November/ December) Autumn
6. Poseideōn (December/January) Autumn
7. Gamēliōn (January/February) Winter
8. Anthestēriōn (February/ March) Winter
9. Elaphēboliōn (March/April) Winter
1O. Mounuchiōn (April/May) Spring
11. Thargēliōn (May/June) Spring
12. Skirophoriōn (june/july) Spring
The correlation suggested between the ancient Athenian months and those of the modern Gregorian calendar is loose, and, in some years, it might have been off by over a month.
The lunar calendar had a small devotional practice in classical Athens. All festivals follow the calendar of Eponymous Archon of Athens.
The Attic, Metonic and Gregorian Calendars relation
The ancestral Athenians used 3 primary and separate calendars, completely independent, used before 432 BC and the start of Peloponnesian War.
The political measurement was according to the Prytaneies, the managing body rotation of democratic system by tribes. It was a bit complicated since the Ionian initial tribes were 4, but democratic reforms created the 10 new tribes, but the months were 12.
The Metonic cycle or calendar is the 11 years period of 235 lunar months, that is equal to the solar one, with 6.940 days.
All three calendars measure from the midst of the summer until next year.
The political calendar starts from 1st New Moon after the Summer turn of the sun, being a not that valid calculating system. It starts after approximately 10 days from the sun’s summer turn.
The Metonic cycle is based on mathematical calculations, and starts from the sunset before the Sun’s summer turn.
The exact calculation is is not very clear. After 406 BC Athenians adjusted the three calendars on the same day.
Aristotle made a mention that the Prytany I.1, which was on the 14th of Skirophoriōn that is the same date of Archon Kallias start of power.
A commentor of Aristophanes Nefeles, mentions that the lunar eclipse that took place happened on Voidromion, at the Archon Stratocles. This lunar eclipse took place in October 9th 425 BC, 14 days after the New Moon, being the 1st of Voidromion month of 425 BC.
Unfortunately we don’t have more data on calendar relations, so as to be able to have more accurate information on ancient Athenian calendars.
