Note 31 — Chapter IX

He says: “The Egyptians in the formation of their Great Year had no regard to the moon. In Greece the Egyptian Year is called ‘cynical’ (dog-like), and in Latin ‘canicular’ because it commences with the rising of the Canicular or Dog-star, to which is fixed the first day of the month which the Egyptians called Thoth. Their civil year had but 365 days without any intercalation. Thus with the Egyptians the space of four years is shorter by one day than the space of four natural years, and a complete synchronism is only established at the end of 1,461 years.” (Chapter XVIII.) “But of these [eras] the beginnings always take place on the first day of the month which is called Thoth among the Egyptians, a day which this present year corresponds to the VIIth day of the Kalends of July (June 25), whilst a hundred years ago ... this same day corresponded to the XIIth day of the Kalends of August (July 21), at which time the Dog-star is wont to rise in Egypt.” (Chapter XXI.)