TheAncient Macedonian calendar is alunisolar calendar that was in use in ancientMacedon in the1st millenniumBCE. It consisted of 12 synodiclunar months (i.e. 354 days per year), which neededintercalarymonths to stay in step with the seasons. By the time the calendar was being used across the Hellenistic world, seven totalembolimoi (intercalary months) were being added in each 19 yearMetonic cycle. The names of the ancient Macedonian Calendar remained in use in Syria even into the Christian era.

The names of the Macedonian months, just like most of the names of Greek months, are derived from feasts and related celebrations in honor of variousGreek gods.^[1] Most of them combine a Macedonian dialectal form with a clear Greek etymology (e.gΔῐός fromZeus;Περίτιος fromHeracles Peritas ("Guardian") ;Ξανδικός /Ξανθικός from Xanthos, "the blond" (probably a reference to Heracles);Άρτεμίσιος fromArtemis etc.) with the possible exception of one,^[which?] which is also attested in otherGreek calendars.^[1]

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The Macedonian calendar was in essence theBabylonian calendar with the substitution of Macedonian names for the Babylonian ones,^[2] and as such it paralleled theHebrew calendar which is alsolunisolar, and was used during theParthian Empire too. An example of6th centuryCE inscriptions fromDecapolis, Jordan, bearing the Solar Macedonian calendar, starts from the month Audynaeus.^[3] The solar type was merged later with theJulian calendar. InRoman Macedonia, both calendars were used. The Roman one is attested in inscriptions with the nameKalandôngen.καλανδῶνcalendae and the MacedonianHellenikeidat.ἙλληνικῇHellenic.^[4] Finally an inscription^[5] fromKassandreia of aboutc. 306–298 BCE bearing a monthἈθηναιῶνAthenaion suggests that some cities may have used their own months even after the4th centuryBCE Macedonian expansion.

‡ Months marked with a double-dagger include the wordembolimos; they were only used occasionally forintercalation during each19 year calendar cycle, in the manner described in the remarks.

Years were usually counted from the re-conquest ofSeleucus I Nicator of Babylon, which became "year 1". This is equivalent to312 BCE /311 BCE in theAnno Domini year count of the modernGregorian calendar. This practice spread outside theSeleucid Empire and found use inAntigonid Macedonia,Ptolemaic Egypt, and other major Hellenistic states descended from Alexander's conquests as well. Years can be abbreviated SE, S.E., or occasionally AG (Anno Graecorum).^{[citation needed]}

• Ancient Greek calendars
• Attic calendar

• Culture of Macedonia (ancient kingdom)
• Obsolete calendars
• Hellenistic civilization
• Lunisolar calendars

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