Five
Alexandrian Metonic 19‑year Lunar Cycles
|
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|
AD |
Anatolius 19‑year
lunar cycle |
archetypal Alexandrian cycle |
Festal Index 19‑year
lunar cycle |
Theophilus 19‑year lunar cycle |
classical Alexandrian cycle |
|
304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 |
8 April 28 March 16 April 5 April 24 March 12 April 1 April 20 April 9 April 29 March 17 April 6 April 26 March 14 April 3 April 23 March 11 April 31 March 19 April |
6 April 26 March 13 April 2 April 22 March 10 April 30 March 18 April 7 April 27 March 15 April 4 April 24 March 12 April 1 April 21 March 9 April 29 March 17 April |
6 April 26 March 14 April 2 April 22 March 10 April 30 March 18 April 7 April 27 March 15 April 4 April 24 March 12 April 1 April 21 March 9 April 29 March 17 April |
6 April 26 March 13 April 2 April 22 March 10 April 30 March 18 April 7 April 27 March 15 April 4 April 24 March 12 April 1 April 21 March 9 April 29 March 17 April |
5 April 25 March 13 April 2 April 22 March 10 april 30 March 18 April 7 April 27 March 15 April 4 April 24 March 12 April 1 April 21 March 9 April 29 March 17 April |
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Table 8: Comparing the two lost ante-Nicene and the three well‑known post‑Nicene Alexandrian Metonic
19-year lunar cycles to each other |
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Anatolius 19-year lunar cycle
is the lost Metonic 19‑year lunar cycle from
which the great Alexandrian computist Anatolius, who became bishop of Laodicea
(Syria), around AD 260 started in order to construct his famous 19‑year Paschal cycle. The archetypal Alexandrian 19-year lunar cycle, also simply referred to
as the archetypal Alexandrian cycle, is the lost ante‑Nicene common
archetype of the three well-known post‑Nicene Alexandrian Metonic 19‑year lunar cycles. Both of these Metonic 19‑year lunar cycles were both constructed
(before the council of Nicaea in AD 325) and
reconstructed (recently) mutatis mutandis according to four computistical
principles: the principle concerning the spring equinox, the principle
concerning the crescent moon, the principle of periodicity, and the principle
of metonicity.
The Festal Index 19-year lunar cycle, also simply referred to as the
Festal Index cycle, must have been obtained from the archetypal Alexandrian
cycle by replacing its date 13 April with 14 April. Theophilus 19-year lunar cycle must have been obtained by bishop
Theophilus of Alexandria by adopting the archetypal
Alexandrian cycle or by adapting the Festal Index cycle by replacing its date
14 April with 13 April.
The classical Alexandrian 19-year lunar cycle, also simply referred to
as the classical Alexandrian cycle, is Annianus
19-year lunar cycle, being the Metonic 19‑year
lunar cycle opted for by the Alexandrian monk and great computist
Annianus (around AD 412) and subsequently adopted by
bishop Cyril of Alexandria (around AD 425). The classical Alexandrian
cycle forms the Metonic structure underlying both Dionysius Exiguus Paschal table (AD 525) and the Easter table of Beda Venerabilis (AD 725).
We observe that there exists a gap of about 2 days between on the
one hand Anatolius 19‑year lunar cycle and on
the other hand the other four Alexandrian Metonic 19‑year
lunar cycles; this gap dates from before the council of Nicaea
in AD 325 (because the archetypal Alexandrian cycle dates from before this
council), and is therefore referred to as the ante‑Nicene Alexandrian 2‑day
gap.
©
Jan Zuidhoek 2019-2022