Myths of Greece Explained and Dated (Volume 1); An Embalmed History from Uranus to Persus Including the Eleusinian Mysteries and the Olympic Games

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1901 Excerpt: ... MYTHS OF GREECE. CHAPTER I. Preliminary Considerations. I. Chaos of the Greek Calendar.--I pointed out in my Creation Records how difficult a thing it has sometimes proved to measure the length of the year with exactness, and how surely the smallest error tends to grow to large dimensions. We take the year roughly as comprising 365 days; but really it is a little less than that. The slight excess--which is only eleven minutes, twelve seconds--was neglected in the year as arranged by Julius Caasar; and by the sixteenth century it had grown to ten days. In 1581 Pope Gregory secured its rectification, and provided a calendar which obviated the recurrence of error; but all nations did not at once adopt his reform. It was not till 1752 that the New Style was adopted by the British Parliament; and by that time it was necessary to drop out eleven days. The reform, moreover, excited some opposition among uneducated people, and was followed by some sectarian difference of practice. The Eastern Churches still adhere to the Julian method, and the discrepancy now_ amounts to thirteen days; so that in Russia our twentieth day of any month is still only their seventh. The disadvantages arising from this state of things are numerous, and are especially felt in doing business with the rest of the world; yet the Holy Synod would not like any change. If thirteen days were struck out, thirteen saints would be deprived of their customary services and offerings, and the ignorant worshippers would be furious with indignation. Difficulties of a similar kind, and some that were, more serious, must often have occurred in ancientGreece; for there the changes in the calendar were numerous and various. It was a great object with the Greeks to measure time accurately; and their best me...