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The Metonic Cycle
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More Working
19 tropical years = 6939.602 days
235 synodic (lunar) months = 6939.688 days
There is a margin of error of 2 hours in this, or as you can see from above, 0.086 days.
The Metonic cycle's error is, therefore, one full day every 219 years, or 12.4 parts per million.
How the Metonic Cycle Works and Why it was Implemented
- One year on 12 lunar month basis = 354 days
- Creates difference of 1 month every three years between 'true' year
- Requires extra, (intercalated) month every 3 years,
- Athenian calendar model was flawed
- Meton invented new method, 'Metonic Cycle', to allow regular intercalation
- 19 solar years almost = 235 lunar months
- This will give you a year of 365 + 1/4 + 1/76 days in length, requiring intercalation on year , 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19.
- This is the basis of the Greek and Hebrew calendars
What You Need to Know!
What is it?
The Metonic cycle, also known as the Enneadecaeteris in Ancient Greek, is a period of time exceptionally close to 19 tropical years.This period of 19 years is significant for being nearly, not exactly, but very close to a common multiple of the lunar month.
Please refer to your handouts, but here are some key things to know:
Tropical Year - A tropical year is the period of time it takes the sun to return to the same position in the cycle of seasons. E.g. summer solstice to summer solstice.
Synodic Month - Interval of time from one moon phase to the other.
Refer to other info on handout
The Metonic Cycle
To Note
Proof/Working:
At the time of Meton, axial precession had not yet been discovered, and he could not distinguish between sidereal years (currently: 365.256363 days) and tropical years (currently: 365.242190 days).
- A period of 19 Solar years is almost exactly equal to 235 lunar months.
235 lunar months rounded to full days is 6940 days.
So, 6940/19 = 365.26 (2.d.p.)
That is very close to one year, therefore 19 t years is almost a common multiple of 235 l months.
So, to understand the common multiple this demonstrates, we can look to more working.
By Oliver Oayda and James Wily
In Conclusion
The Metonic Cycle is purely an approximation of reality.
- So, what does this mean for our good old Metonic Cycle?
- The actual fact that 19 solar years almost equals 235 lunar months are completely irrelevant and purely coincidence.
- There is absolutely no correlation between the moon's orbit around the Earth, and the Earth's orbit around the sun.
- Therefore, this entire cycle is purely coincidence.