74 



EPOCH. 



tyrt, was much used by Christian writers until the 

 introduction of the Christian era in the sixth cen- 

 tury, and is still employed by the Abyssinians and 

 Copts. It dates from the day* when Diocletianwas 

 proclaimed emperor, at Chalcedon, 29th August, 

 284. It is called the Era of Martyrs, from the per- 

 secution of the Christians in the reign of Diocletian. 

 The year consists of 365 days, with an additional 

 day every fourth year. Divide the date by 4, and 

 if 3 remain, the year is bissextile. It contains 12 

 montlis of 30 days each, with 4 additional in com- 

 mon years, and 6 in leap years. To reduce the 

 years of this era to those of the Christian, add 283 

 years 240 days. When the Piocletian year is the 

 year after leap year, it begins one day later than 

 usual, and, in consequence, one day must be added 

 to the Christian year, from the 29th of August to the 

 end of the following February. 



The Grecian Era, or Era of the Seleucides, dates 

 from the reign of Seleucus Nicator, 311 years and 

 4 montlis before Christ. It was used in Syria for 

 many years, and frequently by the Jews until the 

 fifteenth century, and by some Arabians to this day. 

 The Syrian Greeks began their year about the com- 

 mencement of September; other Syrians in Octo- 

 ber, and the Jews about the autumnal equinox. We 

 shall not pretend to great accuracy in this era, the 

 opinions of authors being very various as to its com- 

 mencement. It is used in the book of the Mac- 

 cabees, and appears to have begun with Nisan. Their 

 year was solar, and consisted of 365 days, with the 

 addition of a day every fourth year. To reduce it to 

 our era, supposing it to begin 1st September, 312 

 B. C., subtract 311 years and 4 months. 



The Death of Alexander the Great dates from the 

 12th of November, 324, B. C.,f on which day the 

 425th year of Nabonassar began. This era was 

 computed by years of 365 days, with a leap year of 

 366 every four years, like the Julian year. The 

 months were of 30 days each, with 5 additional. To 

 compute it, deduct 323 from the given year, and the 

 remainder will be the year of the Christian era. If 

 before Christ, deduct the year from 324. 



The Era of Tyre began the 19th of October, 125 

 B. C., with the month Hyperberetaeus. The months 

 were the same as those used in the Grecian era. 

 The year is similar to the Julian. To reduce it to 

 our era, subtract 124 ; and if the given year be less 

 than 125, deduct it from 125, and the remainder will 

 be the year before Christ. 



The Ccesarean Era of Antioch was used in Syria, 

 by Greeks and Syrians. The months are the same 

 as those given under the Grecian era. The Greeks 

 began with Gorpiaius, September, in the year 49 B. 

 C., and the Syrians with Tishri I., October, of 48 

 B. C. 



The Era. of Abraham is used by Eusebius, and 

 begins the 1st of October, 2016 B. C. To reduce 

 this to the Christian era, subtract 2015 years 3 

 months, and the remainder will be the year and 

 month. 



The Spanish Era, or Era of the Caesars, is reck- 

 oned from the 1st of January, 38 years B. C., being 

 the year following the conquest of Spain by Augus- 

 tus. It was much used in Africa, Spain, and the 

 south of France. By a synod held in 1180, its use 

 was abolished in all the churches dependent on Bar- 

 celona. Pedro IV. of Arragon, abolished the use of 

 it in his dominions in 1350. John I. of Castile did 

 the same in 1382. It continued to be used in Portu- 



* Diocletian was not, in reality, proclaimed until some 

 months after this time. 



t This would be more accurately 323 B. C. but the above 

 date ti more usually adopted. 



gal until 1455. The months and days of this era 

 are identical with those of the Julian calendar ; and, 

 consequently, to turn this time into that of our era, 

 we have only to subtract 38 from the year. Thus 

 the Spanish year 750 is equal to the Julian 712. If 

 the year be before the Christian era, subtract it 

 from 39. 



The Era of Yczdegird HI., or the Persian Era, 

 was formerly universally adopted in Persia, and is 

 still used by the Parsees in India, and by the Arabs, 

 in certain computations. This era began on the 16th 

 of June, A. D. 632. The year consisted of 365 days 

 only, and, therefore, its commencement, like that of 

 the old Egyptian and Armenian year, anticipated 

 the Julian year by one day in every four years. This 

 difference amounted to nearly 112 days in the year 

 1075, when it was reformed by Jelaledin, who 

 ordered, that, in future, the Persian year should 

 receive an additional day whenever it should appear 

 necessary to postpone the commencement of the fol- 

 lowing year, that it might occur on the day of the 

 sun's passing the same degree of the ecliptic. This 

 took place generally once in 4 years; but, after 

 seven or eight intercalations, it was postponed for a 

 year. It will be observed, that such an arrangement 

 must be perfect, and that this calendar could never 

 require reformation ; but it has the inconvenience 

 of making it very difficult to determine beforehand 

 the length of any given year, as well as that of 

 causing a difference occasionally in the computation 

 of persons living under different meridians; those 

 living towards the East sometimes beginning their 

 year a day after others more westwardly situate ; the 

 sun rising in the old sign to those in the former situ- 

 ation, who consequently continued in the old year 

 another day ; while the others, having their sunrise 

 in the new sign, began a new year. The present 

 practice of the Parsees in India varies in different 

 provinces, some beginning the year in September, 

 and others in October. The months have each 30 

 days, and the intercalation of 5 or 6 days occurs at 

 the end of Aban. To reduce this era to the Chris- 

 tian, add 630 to the given year, and the sum will 

 be the year of our era in which the year begins, 

 according to the practice of the Parsees. Every day 

 of the Persian month has a different name. 



The Era of the Armenians. The Armenians 

 began their era on Tuesday, the 9th of July, A. D. 

 552. Their year consists of 365 days only, and 

 therefore anticipates the Julian one day in every four 

 years. The Armenian ecclesiastical year begins on 

 the 1 1th of August, and has an additional day at the 

 end of every fourth year; and consequently coin- 

 cides in division with the Julian year. To reduce 

 ecclesiastical Armenian years to our time, add 551 

 years and 222 days. In leap year, subtract one day 

 from March 1 to August 10. The Armenians fre- 

 quently use the old Julian style and months in their 

 correspondence with Europeans. 



For the French Revolutionary Calendar, sec Cal- 

 endar. As this plan lasted so short a time, it will 

 take less space to insert a table of years correspond- 

 ing with the Christian era, than to give a rule for the 

 deduction of one era from another. 



1 17923 



2 1793 t 



3 17945 



4 17956 

 6 17967 



6 17978 



7 17989 



8 1799 1800 



9 1SOO 1^01 



10 1801 U 



11 ISO;! 3 



12 18034 



13 18045 



14 18056 



The Mohammedan Era, or Era of the Hegira, 

 dates from the night of Mohammed to Medina, which 

 event took place in the night' of Thursday, the 15th 

 of July, A. D. 622. The era commences on the 

 following day, viz., the 16th of July, Many chrouo- 



