apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

68o EPISTLE OF S. POLYCARP.
In order to effect this, those months which consisted of thirty-one days
were considered to have two first days, and accordingly in these
months alone the days are numbered A A B r A, etc. Secondly ; the
last decade of the month is reckoned backwards (as in the Athenian
lunar months) thus, lEH (i.e. SeKarv e^'idrros),
©K (i.e.
the 9th day in
the twenties), HK, ZK, ^K, EK, AK, TK, nPO[TE] (i.e.
Trporepa, the day
before the 30th)', A. But here again some religious scruple required
that the twenty-first day should always be 'the loth of the waning
month ',
or ' the later loth,' as Aristides calls it". Hence in the month
Dystrus, which has only 28 days, some numbers are skipped, and the
2ist, 22nd, 23rd, etc. are designated TEE, ZK, s"K, etc., so that the
month again ends as before IIPO, A.
The following table therefore exhibits this portion of the Ephesian
calendar compared with the Roman.
ix Kl. Feb.