From all this it follows that it was the necessity for the regulation of the religious cult that first created the calendar in Greece. The succession of days in the year was in the first place arranged in the form of sacral _fasti_, and this arrangement was followed by the official civil calendar, while the peasants and sailors kept to the reckoning by phases of the stars. All indications--especially the above-mentioned festivals of Delphi, the dictum of Plato, etc.--seem to shew that this regulation originated at Delphi; not that it was actually enjoined by the oracle, but the necessity for the regulation was aggravated there, and its performance was therefore supported and superintended. Only in Delphi could the requisites for the carrying out of such a work be found united. It is the business of the oracle to maintain peace with the gods, and this is above all achieved through the proper cult, in which the dates are of the greatest importance, no less important indeed than the expiation of murder and the veneration of the heroes. In the _pylagorai_ and _hieromnemones_, who met twice a year for deliberation, and in the _exegetai_ there was a circle closely connected with Delphi, each member of which could spread in his own state the ideas he there imbibed[1196]. Certain states maintained special officials who fostered the connexion with Delphi, such as the Pythioi of Sparta, the ἐξηγηταὶ πυθόχρηστοι of Athens. And, above all, it is only thus that the consistently sacral character of the Greek calendar and names of months in general can be satisfactorily explained. There remains something to be added, viz. that, as has been remarked above, all the festivals of Apollo of which the date is known--and they are not few in number--fall on the 7th, on which day also the birth of the god was celebrated at Delphi and elsewhere. It is clear that this is a definitely intended regulation. Otherwise, too, Apollo is the patron of the reckoning in months. Even in Homer the day of new moon is a feast of Apollo, and later, as Νεομήνιος, i. e. new-moon god, he receives sacrifices on the first of each month. The initial day of the third decade was also dedicated to him, for which reason he was called Εἰκάδιος. He is without a rival in his importance for the selection of days, which is dependent upon the reckoning in months.