The Ancient Calendar of Attica

The Ancient Calendar of Attica

This unique one and only calendar of the ancient greek civilization is 22 centuries old and is located on the facade of the church Panagia Gorgoepikoos and Saint Eleftherios- Mitropoleos square Athens Greece.

-Every section of it,shows a month,in human form.

Depicting celebrations,seasons or agricultural events.

It starts with the month "Pianepsion".

(Equivalent of October and November).

-Every month of the ancient calendar was devoted to one or two of the 12 Gods of Olympus.

The day for the ancients greeks started from sunset not at the midnight as we count it today in the modern world.

The new year's eve for the ancient Athenians started on the 1st of "Ekatomvaeon".

The months according to the ancient Athenian Calendar are:

Ekatomvaeon=16/17 July-14/15 August-Apollo

Metagitnion=15/16 August-13/14 September-Apollo

Voidromion=14/15 September - 12/13 October-Apollo

Pianepsion=13/14 October-11/12 November-Apollo

Memaktirion=12/13 Noveber-11/12 December-Zeus

Posidon=12/13 December-9/10 January-Posidon

Gamilion=10/11 January -8/9 February-Zeus-Hera

Anthestirion=9/10 February-8/9 March-Dionysus

Elafivolion=9/10 March-7/8 April-Artemis

Mounιchion=8/9 April-6/7 May-Artemis

Thargelion=7/8 May-4/5 June-Artemis-Apollo

Skirophorion=5/6 June-4/5 July-Athena

The ancient  Athenian calendar dates back to 776 BC and with the first Olympian Games of Ancient times, it took it's final form in 430 BC  from the ancient greek astronomer Metonas.

Later the calendar was further improved by Hipparchus.

Every month had either 30 days or 29 days.

On the facade of this church - Panagia Gorgoepikoos and Saint Eleftherios- there is the ancient Athenian calendar.

It is a 12th century church with exceptional architectural aesthetics.

The temple has been built on the remaine of ancient greek temple which was devoted to goddess Eilithia.(the protector of birth -newborns and mothers-freed women from the pain of childbirth)

-The architecture of this church is four column cruciform in shape.

It was built of  marble remains from older ancient monuments.