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Greek Calendars
Each Greek polis had its own calendar, though they had similarities. All their calendars were lunisolar, which meant they had twelve lunar months (generally alternating 29 and 30 days), and an occasional 13th month to keep the year in time with the Sun (i.e. the seasons). Each month was divided into three ten day phases tied to the rising moon, the full moon and the waning moon.
At Athens, the twelve months of the festival calendar started at a new moon in Summer:
Summer (June - September) |
Hekatombion, Metageitnion, Boedromion |
Autumn (September - December) |
Pyanopsion, Maimakterion, Poseidon |
The intercalendary month every 3 years |
second Poseidon |
Winter (December - March) |
Gamelion, Anthesterion, Elaphebolion |
Spring (March - June) |
Mounikhion, Thargelion, and Skirophorion |
There was a second, political or "conciliar" year, which divided the year into 10 "prytanies" of 36/35 days (perhaps 39/38 in catch-up years). There was one "prytany" for each of the "phylai" (the Athenian tribes).
A third calendar was related to the stars and their risings.
Principal Athenian Festivals
These are the principal feasts in Athens. (From: Bruit Zaidman L., and Schmidt Pantel P., Religion in the Ancient Greek City, trans. Cartledge, P., CambridgeUP, Cambridge, 1992, p.103).
Festival |
Month and day |
Divinity |
Kronia (Harvest) |
Hekatombaion 12 |
Kronos |
Synoikia (Unification of Attica) |
Hekatombaion 15-16 |
Athene |
Panathenaia - greater and lesser (Contests, processions) |
Hekatombaion 21-29 (?) |
Athene |
Eleusinia (Grain) and departure ceremony for Phaleron? |
Metageitnion (?) [4 days] |
Demeter |
Niketeria (Victory) |
Boedromion 2 |
Nike |
Plataia (Reconciliation) |
Boedromion 3 |
Hera (Daidala) |
Genesia (The dead) |
Boedromion 5 |
Gê |
Artemis Agrotera (Birthday of Artemis the Huntress) later called Kharisteria (Thanksgiving) |
Boedromion 6 |
Artemis |
Demokratia (Democracy) |
Boedromion 12 |
Zeus Agoraios, Athena Agoraias, Themis |
Eleusinia (Greater Mysteries, procession to Eleusis) |
Boedromion 15-17, 19-21 |
Demeter |
Pyanopsia (bean-stewing and olive/laurel branch decoration) |
Pyanopsion 7 |
Apollo |
Theseia (Cimon and the bones of Theseus) |
Pyanopsion 8 |
Theseus |
Stenia (women insulting each other, "aiskhrologia" and piglets given to snakes) |
Pyanopsion 9 |
Demeter |
Thesmophoria (autumn sowing) |
Pyanopsion 11-13 |
Demeter |
Khalkeia (Bronzes - craftsmen) |
Pyanopsion 30 |
Athene |
Apatouria (registration of young men) |
Pyanopsion (?) |
|
Oskhophoria (young men and grape vines) |
Pyanopsion (?) |
Athene |
|
[Maimakterion] |
|
Haloa (offering of fruit) |
Poseideion 26 |
Demeter |
Theogamia (the gods' marriage) |
Gamelion 2 |
Hera |
Anthesteria (flowers to herald the Spring) |
Anthesterion 11-13 |
Dionysos |
Diasia (bloodless Spring offerings) |
Anthesterion 23 |
Zeus Meilichios, the Gracious |
Asklepieia (athletic and drama festival) |
Elaphebolion 8 |
Asklepios |
City Dionysia (procession and theatre |
Elaphebolion 10-14 |
Dionysos |
Delphinia (maidens' procession) |
Mounikhion 6 |
Apollo |
Mounikhia (young girls "act the bear" at Brauron) |
Mounikhion 16 |
Artemis |
Olympieia (equestrian games) |
Mounikhion 19 |
Zeus |
Thargelia (first fruits offered and scapegoat expelled |
Thargelion 6-7 |
Apollo |
Bendideia (Thracian goddess, procession, torch race) |
Thargelion 19 |
Bendis |
Plynteria (temples closed and Athena's clothes washed |
Thargelion 25 |
Athene |
Arrhetophoria (girls and secret objects) |
Skirophorion 3 |
Athene |
Skira (procession from the Acropolis to Skiron) |
Skirophorion 12 |
Demeter |
Dipoleia/Bouphonia (Ox eating grain on altar) |
Skirophorion 14 |
Zeus |
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