John of Damascus, On Macedonian Months

De mensibus Macedonicis

Of John of Damascus, concerning the Macedonian months, from the ecclesiastical tradition.

For the Greeks say there are twelve constellations of stars in the heaven, having a motion contrary to the sun, and to the moon, and to the other five planets, and that the seven pass through the twelve constellations. The names of the seven planets are these: Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Saturn. They call them planets because they move in a motion contrary to the heaven. And in each zone of the heaven there is one of the seven planets: one, Saturn, in the first and highest; and in the second, Jupiter; in the third, Mars; and in the fourth, the Sun; and in the fifth, Venus; and in the sixth, Mercury; and in the seventh and lowest, the Moon. The Sun, therefore, completes one month in each constellation, and passes through the twelve constellations in the twelve months. The names of the twelve constellations are these, and their months: 1st, Aries; in the month of March on the 21st it receives the sun; 2nd, Taurus; in the month of April on the 23rd; 3rd, Gemini; in May on the 24th; 4th, Cancer; in June on the 24th; 5th, Leo; in July on the 25th; 6th, Virgo, in August on the 25th. 7th, Libra; in September on the 25th; 8th, Scorpio, in October on the 25th; 9th, Sagittarius, in November on the 25th; 10th, Capricorn, in December on the 25th; 11th, Aquarius, in January on the 20th; 12th, Pisces, in February on the 20th. But the Moon passes through the 12 constellations each month, and being lower, traverses them more quickly; as if you were to make a sphere inside another sphere, the inner sphere will be found smaller. So also the course of the Moon, being lower, is shorter, and is completed more quickly. Concerning the different months. Months according to the Romans. 1st. March 31; Eat sweet things, drink sweet things. 2nd. April 30; Do not eat radish. 3rd. May 31; Do not eat trotters and head. 4th. June 31; Drink a little water. 5th. July 31; Abstain from sexual intercourse. 6th. August 31; Do not eat raw vegetables. 7th. September 30; Do not eat milk. 8th. October 31; Abstain from eating sour things. 9th. November 30; Abstain from frequent bathing. 10th. December 31; Do not eat cabbage. 11th. January 31; At the 12th hour drink a little unmixed wine. 12th. February 28; Do not eat beet. 95.237 Months according to the Jews. 1st. Nisan. 2nd. Iar; 3rd. Siuan. 4th. Thamouz. 5th. Ab. 6th. Aloul. 7th. Thesrē. 8th. Marsuan. 9th. Chasleu. 10th. Tibēth. 11th. Sabat. 12th. Adar. Months according to the Macedonians. 1st. Taurus. 2nd. Gemini; 3rd. Cancer. 4th. Leo. 5th. Virgo. 6th. Libra. 7th. Scorpio. 8th. Sagittarius. 9th. Capricorn. 10th. Aquarius. 11th. Pisces. 12th. Aries. Months according to the Greeks. 1st. Xanthikos. 2nd. Artemisios. 3rd. Daisios. 4th. Panemos. 5th. Lōos. 6th. Gorpiaios. 7th. Hyperberetaios. 8th. Dios. 9th. Apellaios. 10th. Audynaios. 11th. Peritios. 12th. Dystros. Months according to the Egyptians. 1st. Pharmouthi. 2nd. Pachon. 3rd. Payni. 4th. Epiphi. 5th. Mesori. 6th. Thoth. 7th. Phaophi. 8th. Athyr. 9th. Choiak. 10th. Tybi. 11th. Mecheir. 12th. Phamenoth.

De mensibus Macedonicis

̓Ιωάννου τοῦ ∆αμασκηνοῦ, περὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων μηνῶν, ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς παραδόσεως.

Φασὶ γὰρ οἱ Ἕλληνες εἶναι δώδεκα ζώδια ἐξ ἀστέρων ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ἐναντίαν κίνησιν ἔχοντα τῷ τε ἡλίῳ, καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πέντε πλανήταις, καὶ διὰ δώδεκα ζωδίων παρέρχεσθαι τοὺς ἑπτά. Τῶν δὲ ἑπτὰ πλανητῶν τὰ ὀνόματα εἰσὶ ταῦτα· Ἥλιος, Σελήνη, Ζεὺς, Ἑρμῆς, Ἄρης, Ἀφροδίτη, Κρόνος. Πλανήτας δὲ καλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς διὰ τὸ ἐναντίαν αὐτοὺς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κινεῖσθαι κίνησιν. Εἶναι δὲ καθ' ἑκάστην ζώνην τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἕνα τῶν ἑπτὰ πλανητῶν· ἕνα μὲν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ καὶ ἀνωτέρᾳ τὸν Κρόνον· ἐν δὲ τῇ δευτέρᾳ τὸν ∆ία· ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ τὸν Ἄρεα· ἐν δὲ τῇ τετάρτῃ τὸν Ἥλιον· ἐν δὲ τῇ πέμπτῃ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην· ἐν δὲ τῇ ἕκτῃ τὸν Ἑρμῆν· ἐν δὲ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ καὶ κατωτέρᾳ τὴν Σελήνην. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἥλιος καθ' ἕκαστον ζώδιον ἀποτελεῖ μῆνα ἕνα, καὶ διὰ τῶν δώδεκα μηνῶν τὰ δώδεκα ζώδια διέρχεται. Τῶν δὲ δώδεκα ζωδίων τὰ ὀνόματα εἰσὶ ταῦτα, καὶ οἱ τούτων μῆνες· αʹ, Κριός· μηνὶ Μαρτίῳ καʹ δέχεται τὸν ἥλιον· βʹ, Ταῦρος· μηνὶ Ἀπριλλίῳ κγʹ· γʹ, ∆ίδυμος Μαΐῳ κδʹ· δʹ, Καρκίνος Ἰουνίῳ κδʹ· εʹ, Λέων Ἰουλίῳ κεʹ· ϛʹ, Παρθένος, Αὐγούστῳ κεʹ. ζʹ, Ζυγὸς Σεπτεμβρίῳ κεʹ· ηʹ, Σκορπίος, Ὀκτωβρίῳ. κεʹ· θʹ, Τοξότης, Νοεμβρίῳ κεʹ· ιʹ, Αἰγόκερως, ∆εκεμβρίῳ κεʹ· ιαʹ, Ὑδροχόος, Ἰαννουαρίῳ κʹ· ιβʹ, Ἰχθῦς, Φευβρουαρίῳ κʹ. Ἡ δὲ Σελήνη καθ' ἕκαστον μῆνα τὰ ιβʹ ζώδια διέρχεται, καὶ κατωτέρα παροῦσα, καὶ ταχύτερον ταῦτα διοδεύουσα· ὡς ἐὰν ποιήσῃς πόλον ἔνδον ἄλλου πόλου, ὁ ἔνδον πόλος μικρότερος εὑρεθήσεται. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ δρόμος τῆς Σελήνης κατωτέρας οὔσης ὀλιγότερός ἐστιν, καὶ ἀνύεται τάχιον. Περὶ διαφόρων μηνῶν. Μῆνες κατὰ Ῥωμαίους. αʹ. Μάρτιος λαʹ· Γλυκοφάγει, γλυκοπότει. βʹ. Ἀπρίλλιος λʹ· Ῥαφάνης μὴ φάγῃς. γʹ. Μάϊος λαʹ· Ποδοκέφαλα μὴ φάγῃς. δʹ. Ἰούνιος λαʹ· Πίνε ὕδωρ ὀλίγον. εʹ. Ἰούλιος λαʹ· Ἀπέχου ἀφροδισίων. ϛʹ. Αὔγουστος λαʹ· Ὠμὰ λάχανα μὴ φάγῃς. ζʹ. Σεπτέμβριος λʹ· Γάλα μὴ φάγῃς. ηʹ. Ὀκτώβριος λαʹ· Ἀπέχου ὀξυφαγίας. θʹ. Νοέμβριος λʹ· Ἀπέχου πολυλουσίας. ιʹ. ∆εκέμβριος λαʹ· Κράμβην μὴ φάγῃς. ιαʹ. Ἰαννουάριος λαʹ· Ὥρᾳ ιβʹ πίνε ἄκρατον ὀλίγον. ιβʹ. Φευβρουάριος κηʹ· Σεύτλου μὴ φάγῃς. 95.237 Μῆνες κατὰ Ἰουδαίους. αʹ. Νισάν. βʹ. Ἰάρ· γʹ. Σιουάν. δʹ. Θαμούζ. εʹ. Ἄβ. ϛʹ. Ἀλούλ. ζʹ. Θεσρή. ηʹ. Μαρσουάν. θʹ. Χασλεύ. ιʹ. Τιβήθ. ιαʹ. Σαβάτ. ιβʹ. Ἀδάρ. Μῆνες κατὰ Μακεδόνας. αʹ. Ταῦρος. βʹ. ∆ίδυμος· γʹ. Καρκῖνος. δʹ. Λέων. εʹ. Παρθένος. ϛʹ Ζυγός. ζʹ. Σκορπίος. ηʹ. Τοξότης. θʹ. Αἰγόκερως. ιʹ. Ὑδροχόος. ιαʹ. Ἰχθῦς. ιβʹ. Κριός. Μῆνες κατὰ Ἕλληνας. αʹ. Ξανθικός. βʹ. Ἀρτεμίσιος. γʹ. ∆αίσιος. δʹ. Πάνεμος. εʹ. Λῷος. ϛʹ. Γορπιαῖος. ζʹ. Ὑπερβερεταῖος. ηʹ. ∆ῖος. θʹ. Ἀπηλλαῖος. ιʹ. Αὐδυναῖος. ιαʹ. Περίτιος. ιβʹ. ∆ύστρος. Μῆνες κατὰ Αἰγυπτίους. αʹ. Φαρμουθί. βʹ. Παχών. γʹ. Παυνί. δʹ. Ἐπιφί. εʹ. Μεσωρί. ϛʹ. Θώθ. ζʹ. Φαωφί. ηʹ. Ἀθύρ. θʹ. Χοιάκ. ιʹ. Τυβί. ιαʹ. Μεχείρ. ιβʹ. Φαμενώθ.