CHRONOLOGY. 
to be of the highest importance in chrono- 
logy, as affording a common standard for 
the adjustment of different epochs. Mo- 
dern chronoiogers are not however so warm 
in their admiration of it as their predeces- 
sors have been. A common standard is un- 
questionably of the highest consequence in 
the comparison of dates and aeras, and in 
the general arrangement and division of 
time, and from its great utility and the neces- 
sity of its frequent application, it is of im- 
portance that it should he as simple as pos- 
sible in its nature and construction. The 
Julian period is liable to objection on the 
latter score, as being rather complicated in its 
form ition ; and its necessity is now altoge- 
ther superseded by the very general adop- 
tion of the Christian aera as the standard of 
time. Any events or aeras, prior or subse- 
quent to its commencement, may easily he 
computed by it, and the date of them be 
impressed in the memory with very little 
exertion or difficulty. 
It remains that we give some account of 
Epochs and Mras, terms which constantly 
recur in history, and the elucidation of 
which belongs to tlie province of chronolo- 
gy. An epoch is a certain point, generally 
determined by some remarkable event, 
from which time is reckoned ; and the years 
computed from that period are denomi- 
nated an aera. The birth of Christ is con- 
sidered as an epoch — the years reckoned 
from that event are called the Christian 
aera. 
In sacred chronology the first and most 
remarkable epoch is that of tire creation of 
the world. As learned men could not 
agree as to the precise time when this took 
place, the folly of reckoning from it as 
a standard soon became apparent, and the 
practice was in consequence abandoned. 
Archbishop Usher, whose scripture chrono- 
logy is adopted in our English Bibles, fixes 
this event in the year 4004, before Christ, 
Playfair places it in 4007. 
The universal deluge forms another 
.epoch, this is placed by Usher in the year 
B. C. 2349. A third sacred epoch is the 
call of Abraham, which happened according 
to the same learned authority B. C. 1921, 
The next epoch is the departure of the 
Israelites from Egypt, which Usher places 
B. C. 1491. * 
In profane history we shall first notice 
the epoch of the Argonautic expedition, an 
event much celebrated in ancient history, 
and of some importance in chronological 
dkcussion, from being adopted by Sir Isaac 
Newton as the foundation of this system of 
chronology. The date of this transaction 
has been placed in the year 1225 B. C. but 
in this chronoiogers are not agreed. 
The destruction of Troy forms another 
remarkable epoch. Considerable uncer- 
tainty prevails as to the exact time when 
this event, as well as the preceding, took 
place. Playfair fixes it in the year B. C. 
1184. 
Tlie aera of the Olympiads we have no- 
ticed above, and it will be unnecessary to 
give any farther account of it here. The 
epoch of the building of Rome is the next 
that claims our attention. From the total 
want of early records, and other necessary 
documents for deciding the question, the 
date of this event is involved in the obscu- 
rity common to many other remote occur- 
rences. The Roman writers themselves, 
and all who have followed them on the sub- 
ject, differ widely respecting it. Polybius 
fixes it in the year B. C. 751. Cato, and 
others, one year earlier. Terentius Varro 
places it in 753 B. C. Fabius Pictor, who 
is followed by Diodorus Siculus, assigns it 
to 747 B. C. Sir Isaac Newton adopts 
the year 627 B. C. and Playfair after Varro, 
whose computation was used by the Ro- 
man Emperors in their public instruments, 
places it in the year B. C. 753. Great use is 
made of this epoch in the histories of anci- 
ent Rome, and the historical student will 
do well to ascertain, if possible, what opi- 
nion the author he may be perusing adopts, 
and to what year of the Christian ®ra the 
first year of Rome, according to his author, 
corresponds. The dates of the events will 
by this method be accurately ascertained as 
he proceeds. The Romans sometimes 
reckoned the year from the establishment 
of the consular dignity, and afterwards 
from the years of the Emperors. 
Tlie aBraof Nabonassar is another of those 
standards by which the dates of events in 
some histories are regulated. N abonassar was 
the founder of the Babylonish monarchy. 
This aera is reckoned from the commence- 
ment of his reign, which is placed in the year 
B. C. 747, of the Julian period 3967, and 
extends as far down as the death of Alex- 
ander. Tlie Nabonassarean year consists 
of 12 months of 30 days each, and five in- 
tercalary days, making in all 365 days. 
The aera of the Seleucidae, or, as it is some- 
times called, the year of the contracts, is 
reckoned from the establishment of Seleu- 
cus, one of Alexander’s generals, after that 
conqueror’s death, in the empire of Baby- 
