Hellenic calendars hub

This is a shared home for the Delphi/Pythian civic calendar alongside Attic and Macedonian variants. It blends quick reference material with an approximate converter so you can label today (or any date) in those month systems without needing a full ephemeris.

What’s here

Delphi / Pythian

Lunisolar civic calendar tied to Delphi; year starts after the summer solstice; month set here follows common epigraphic names. Intercalary month repeats Poitropios.

Attic (Athenian)

Classical Athenian month ordering, with the usual Poseideon II intercalation in the Metonic leap years.

Macedonian

Royal Macedonian ordering common in Hellenistic usage; intercalary slot modeled as a repeated Xandikos.

Month names (reference)

Delphi / Pythian

Typical sequence; local inscriptions vary. Intercalary month is a second Poitropios.

  1. Bysios
  2. Boukatios
  3. Heraios
  4. Daitios
  5. Agrianios
  6. Theoxenios
  7. Bouphonios
  8. Apellaios
  9. Dystros
  10. Panamos
  11. Hermaios
  12. Poitropios (+ Poitropios II in leap years)

Attic (Athenian)

Year starts after midsummer; leap years add Poseideon II.

  1. Hekatombaion
  2. Metageitnion
  3. Boedromion
  4. Pyanepsion
  5. Maimakterion
  6. Poseideon (+ Poseideon II in leap years)
  7. Gamelion
  8. Anthesterion
  9. Elaphebolion
  10. Mounichion
  11. Thargelion
  12. Skirophorion

Macedonian

Intercalary month is modeled as a second Xandikos.

  1. Dios
  2. Apellaios
  3. Audynaios
  4. Peritios
  5. Dystros
  6. Xandikos (+ Xandikos II in leap years)
  7. Artemisios
  8. Daisios
  9. Panemos
  10. Loos
  11. Gorpiaios
  12. Hyperberetaios

Approximate converter

Method: anchor to a known new moon (2000-01-06 18:14 UTC), use an average synodic month (29.5306 days), start each civic year on the first new moon after the summer solstice in your timezone, and apply a simple Metonic 19-year pattern with leap years 3,6,8,11,14,17,19. Results are labels for planning/reference and will drift a bit from rigorous astronomical reckoning.

Delphi / Pythian
Month 7: Bouphonios
Approx. day in month: 27
Cycle year 2 (common)
Year anchor: 2025; new year approx 2025-06-25 21:29 +00:00
Attic (Athenian)
Month 7: Gamelion
Approx. day in month: 27
Cycle year 2 (common)
Year anchor: 2025; new year approx 2025-06-25 21:29 +00:00
Macedonian
Month 7: Artemisios
Approx. day in month: 27
Cycle year 2 (common)
Year anchor: 2025; new year approx 2025-06-25 21:29 +00:00

Notes and caveats