_sqq._; F. K. Ginzel, _op. cit._ i. 192 _sqq._; Ed. Meyer, “Nachträge zur ägyptischen Chronologie,” _Abhandlungen der königl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften_, 1907 (Berlin, 1908), pp. 11 _sq._; _id._, _Geschichte des Altertums_,2 i. 2. pp. 28 _sqq._, 98 _sqq._ When the fixed Alexandrian year was introduced in 30 B.C. (see above, pp. 27 _sq._) the first of Thoth fell on August 29, which accordingly was thenceforth reckoned the first day of the year in the Alexandrian calendar. See L. Ideler, _op. cit._ i. 153 _sqq._ The period of 1460 solar or 1461 movable Egyptian years was variously called a Sothic period (Clement of Alexandria, _Strom._ i. 21. 136, p. 401 ed. Potter), a Canicular year (from _Canicula_, “the Dog-star,” that is, Sirius), a heliacal year, and a year of God (Censorinus, _De die natali_, xviii. 10). But there is no evidence or probability that the period was recognized by the Egyptian astronomers who instituted the movable year of 365 days. Rather, as Ideler pointed out (_op. cit._ i. 132), it must have been a later discovery based on continued observations of the heliacal rising of Sirius and of its gradual displacement through the whole length of the official calendar. Brugsch, indeed, went so far as to suppose that the period was a discovery of astronomers of the second century A.D., to which they were led by the coincidence of the first of Thoth with the heliacal rising of Sirius in 139 A.D. (_Die Ägyptologie_, p. 357). But the discovery, based as it is on a very simple calculation (365 × 4 = 1460), could hardly fail to be made as soon as astronomers estimated the length of the solar year at 365-¼ days, and that they did so at least as early as 238 B.C. is proved conclusively by the Canopic decree. See above, pp. 25 _sq._, 27. As to the Sothic period see further R. Lepsius, _Die Chronologie der Aegypter_, i. 165 _sqq._; F. K. Ginzel, _op. cit._ i. 187 _sqq._ For the convenience of the reader I subjoin a table of the Egyptian months, with their dates, as these fell, (1) in a year when the first of Thoth coincided with July 20 of the Julian calendar, and (2) in the fixed Alexandrian year. Egyptian Months, Sothic Year beginning July 20, Alexandrian Year. 1 Thoth, 20 July, 29 August 1 Phaophi, 19 August, 28 September 1 Atbyr, 18 September, 28 October 1 Khoiak, 18 October, 27 November 1 Tybi, 17 November, 27 December 1 Mechir, 17 December, 26 January 1 Phamenoth, 16 January, 25 February 1 Pharmuthi, 15 February, 27 March 1 Pachon, 17 March, 26 April 1 Payni, 16 April, 26 May 1 Epiphi, 16 May, 25 June 1 Mesori, 15 June, 25 July 1 Supplementary, 15 July, 24 August See L. Ideler, _op. cit._ i. 143 _sq._; F. K. Ginzel, _op. cit._ i. 200.