{"slug":"khazarzar-john-of-damascus-de-mensibus-macedonicis","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-of-damascus-de-mensibus-macedonicis","title":"De mensibus Macedonicis","title_source":"De mensibus Macedonicis","author":"John of Damascus","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:28:39Z","cost_usd":0.001576},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-of-damascus-de-mensibus-macedonicis","work_id":"khazarzar-john-of-damascus-de-mensibus-macedonicis","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20of%20Damascus_PG%2094-96/De%20mensibus%20Macedonicis.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":2,"english_words":493,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":2058,"commentary_units":11,"commentary_kinds":4,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":3,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-of-damascus-de-mensibus-macedonicis","abstract":"De mensibus Macedonicis is a short calendrical treatise attributed to John of Damascus (c. 675–749), listing the Macedonian months with their corresponding Julian dates and dietary rules. The work survives in Greek manuscripts, often alongside other computistical and astronomical texts. Its exact date is unknown, and its authenticity is uncertain. The text reflects Byzantine interest in reconciling local Macedonian calendars with the Roman Julian system for liturgical purposes. The modern digital edition by khazarzar lacks critical apparatus, making it impossible to verify the base manuscript or editorial choices.","historical_context":"The work is attributed to John of Damascus, a Greek monk and theologian active in the Umayyad Caliphate, primarily at the Monastery of Mar Saba near Jerusalem. John is best known for his dogmatic works, such as the Fount of Knowledge, but he also wrote on computus and natural philosophy. De mensibus Macedonicis belongs to a Byzantine tradition of calendrical compendia that sought to harmonize local month names (here, the Macedonian calendar, still used in parts of the eastern Mediterranean) with the Julian calendar for ecclesiastical dating. The text likely circulated in monastic or scholarly circles concerned with liturgical timekeeping. Its survival in manuscripts alongside other computistical works suggests it was used for practical calculation, though its influence was limited compared to John's major theological writings. The khazarzar edition is a modern transcription without manuscript stemma or textual variants, so the work's textual history remains obscure.","significance":"De mensibus Macedonicis illustrates the Byzantine effort to integrate local calendrical traditions into the Christian liturgical framework. It provides evidence for the persistence of the Macedonian calendar in late antique and medieval Greek-speaking communities. The work also highlights John of Damascus's broader encyclopedic interests beyond theology, though its uncertain authenticity cautions against overattribution.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 675–749","event":"Life of John of Damascus, to whom the work is attributed."},{"date":"8th–9th c.","event":"Probable period of composition if authentic; otherwise, later Byzantine compilation."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Transmission in Greek manuscripts alongside computistical and calendrical texts."},{"date":"Modern era","event":"Digital transcription by khazarzar, without critical edition."}],"relations":[{"work":"Fount of Knowledge","relation":"Major dogmatic work by John of Damascus; De mensibus Macedonicus is a minor, possibly spurious, calendrical text.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"De temporibus","relation":"Another Byzantine calendrical treatise, often transmitted in similar manuscript contexts.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Macedonian calendar","relation":"The local calendar system that the work describes and correlates with the Julian calendar.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The attribution to John of Damascus is uncertain; the work may be a later compilation.","The exact date of composition is unknown; the 8th century is only a plausible range.","The khazarzar edition lacks critical apparatus, manuscript stemma, or textual variants, so the base manuscript and editorial decisions cannot be verified.","The work's survival is fragmentary and its influence limited compared to John's major theological writings."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.00038,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:28:39Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20of%20Damascus_PG%2094-96/De%20mensibus%20Macedonicis.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-of-damascus-de-mensibus-macedonicis","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":2,"translated":2,"commentary_passages":2,"commentary_units":11,"english_words":493,"source_letters":1960,"commentary_kinds":4},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"John of Damascus (c. 675–749) wrote this treatise on Macedonian months. The work is part of his broader encyclopedic output, but its exact date is unknown.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives in Greek manuscripts, often transmitted alongside other calendrical and computistical works. The edition by khazarzar is a modern digital transcription, not a critical edition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This work was used in Byzantine and later Orthodox contexts for liturgical calendar calculations, though its influence is limited compared to John’s major dogmatic works.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The khazarzar edition lacks critical apparatus, manuscript stemma, or textual variants. Readers cannot verify the base manuscript or editorial decisions from this source alone.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 2 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":2},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"̓Ιωάννου τοῦ Δαμασκηνοῦ, περὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων μηνῶν, ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς παραδόσεως.\n\nΦασὶ 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 Δία· 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, Δίδυμος 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, Δεκεμβρίῳ 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.","english":"Of John of Damascus, on the Macedonian months, from the ecclesiastical tradition.\n\nFor the Greeks say there are twelve zodiac signs made of stars in the sky, having a motion opposite to the sun, the moon, and the other five planets, and the seven pass through the twelve zodiac signs. The names of the seven planets are these: Sun, Moon, Zeus, Hermes, Ares, Aphrodite, Kronos. They call them planets because they move in a motion opposite to that of the sky. And in each zone of the sky there is one of the seven planets: one in the first and highest zone, Kronos; in the second, Zeus; in the third, Ares; in the fourth, the Sun; in the fifth, Aphrodite; in the sixth, Hermes; in the seventh and lowest, the Moon. Now the Sun completes one month in each zodiac sign, and passes through the twelve zodiac signs in twelve months. The names of the twelve zodiac signs and their months are these: 1, Aries; receives the sun on March 21; 2, Taurus; April 23; 3, Gemini; May 24; 4, Cancer; June 24; 5, Leo; July 25; 6, Virgo; August 25; 7, Libra; September 25; 8, Scorpius; October 25; 9, Sagittarius; November 25; 10, Capricorn; December 25; 11, Aquarius; January 20; 12, Pisces; February 20. The moon passes through the twelve zodiac signs each month, being lower and traversing them more quickly; so that if you make a sphere inside another sphere, the inner sphere will be found smaller.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"περὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων μηνῶν","severity":"info","text":"The title indicates the work belongs to a Byzantine tradition of calendrical and astronomical compendia, often attributed to John of Damascus but of uncertain authenticity. The reference to 'Macedonian months' suggests a concern with the Seleucid or provincial Macedonian calendar, though the text itself describes the zodiac and planetary spheres.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πλανήτας","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term πλανήτας (planētas) means 'wanderers', here explained as moving opposite to the fixed stars. The list includes Sun and Moon as planets, reflecting ancient geocentric astronomy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ζώδια","severity":"info","text":"The twelve zodiac signs are listed with their Greek names and approximate Julian calendar dates for the sun's entry. The dates (e.g., March 21 for Aries) correspond to the early Byzantine astronomical tradition, likely derived from Ptolemaic sources.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐὰν ποιήσῃς πόλον ἔνδον ἄλλου πόλου","severity":"info","text":"The final analogy of a sphere inside a sphere illustrates the relative sizes of planetary orbits, a common pedagogical device in late antique astronomy. This structural closure reinforces the geocentric model.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς παραδόσεως","severity":"caution","text":"The claim that this material comes from 'ecclesiastical tradition' is unusual for a purely astronomical passage. The attribution may be a later scribal addition to lend authority, as the content is entirely pagan in origin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The text does not explain how the Macedonian months relate to the zodiacal scheme; the title may be a misnomer or the work is fragmentary.","The attribution to John of Damascus is uncertain; the astronomical content is standard and could be from a later compiler."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"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. Δεκέμβριος λαʹ· Κράμβην μὴ φάγῃς. ιαʹ. Ἰαννουάριος λαʹ· Ὥρᾳ ιβʹ πίνε ἄκρατον ὀλίγον. ιβʹ. Φευβρουάριος κηʹ· Σεύτλου μὴ φάγῃς. 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. Δίδυμος· 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. Δαίσιος. δʹ. Πάνεμος. εʹ. Λῷος. ϛʹ. Γορπιαῖος. ζʹ. Ὑπερβερεταῖος. ηʹ. Δῖος. θʹ. Ἀπηλλαῖος. ιʹ. Αὐδυναῖος. ιαʹ. Περίτιος. ιβʹ. Δύστρος. 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.","english":"Thus also the course of the Moon, being lower, is shorter and is completed more quickly. On the different months. Months according to the Romans. 1. March, 31 days: Eat sweet things, drink sweet things. 2. April, 30 days: Do not eat radish. 3. May, 31 days: Do not eat foot-heads. 4. June, 31 days: Drink little water. 5. July, 31 days: Abstain from sexual acts. 6. August, 31 days: Do not eat raw vegetables. 7. September, 30 days: Do not eat milk. 8. October, 31 days: Abstain from sour foods. 9. November, 30 days: Abstain from frequent bathing. 10. December, 31 days: Do not eat cabbage. 11. January, 31 days: At the twelfth hour drink a little unmixed wine. 12. February, 28 days: Do not eat beet. Months according to the Jews. 1. Nisan. 2. Iyar. 3. Sivan. 4. Tammuz. 5. Av. 6. Elul. 7. Tishrei. 8. Marcheshvan. 9. Kislev. 10. Tevet. 11. Shevat. 12. Adar. Months according to the Macedonians. 1. Taurus. 2. Didymus. 3. Carcinus. 4. Leo. 5. Parthenos. 6. Zygos. 7. Scorpios. 8. Toxotes. 9. Aigokeros. 10. Hydrochoos. 11. Ichthys. 12. Krios. Months according to the Greeks. 1. Xanthikos. 2. Artemisios. 3. Daisios. 4. Panemos. 5. Loios. 6. Gorpiaios. 7. Hyperberetaios. 8. Dios. 9. Apellaios. 10. Audynaios. 11. Peritios. 12. Dystros. Months according to the Egyptians. 1. Pharmouthi. 2. Pachon. 3. Pauni. 4. Epiphi. 5. Mesori. 6. Thoth. 7. Phaophi. 8. Athyr. 9. Choiak. 10. Tybi. 11. Mecheir. 12. Phamenoth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Περὶ διαφόρων μηνῶν","severity":"info","text":"This heading introduces a catalogue of month names and dietary rules, shifting from the preceding astronomical discussion to a practical calendrical list.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Μῆνες κατὰ Ῥωμαίους","severity":"info","text":"The Roman months listed are the Julian calendar months, with day counts and dietary prescriptions typical of Byzantine medical or hygienic lore.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Μῆνες κατὰ Μακεδόνας","severity":"info","text":"The Macedonian months here are identical to the Greek zodiac signs, reflecting a late antique or Byzantine syncretism where zodiac names replaced traditional Macedonian month names.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Μῆνες κατὰ Ἕλληνας","severity":"info","text":"These are the traditional Greek (Macedonian) month names used in the eastern Mediterranean, e.g., Xanthikos, Artemisios, etc., corresponding to the Seleucid calendar.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Μῆνες κατὰ Αἰγυπτίους","severity":"info","text":"The Egyptian months are those of the Alexandrian calendar, beginning with Thoth; the list here starts with Pharmouthi, reflecting a different starting point or scribal variation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Μῆνες κατὰ Ἰουδαίους","severity":"caution","text":"The Jewish month names are given in Greek transcription; the order is standard (Nisan to Adar), but the spelling 'Θεσρή' for Tishrei and 'Μαρσουάν' for Marcheshvan show phonetic adaptation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the dietary rules for Roman months is not specified; they may derive from popular medicine or monastic tradition. The Macedonian month list equated with zodiac signs is unusual and may reflect a later conflation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}