new year upon the Vernal
Equinox. This year being at length propagated into _Chaldaea_, gave occasion
to the year of _Nabonassar_; for the years of _Nabonassar_ and those of
_Egypt_ began on one and the same day, called by them _Thoth_, and were
equal and in all respects the same: and the first year of _Nabonassar_
began on the 26th day of _February_ of the old _Roman_ year, seven hundred
forty and seven years before the Vulgar _AEra_ of _Christ_, and thirty and
three days and five hours before the Vernal Equinox, according to the Sun's
mean motion; for it is not likely that the Equation of the Sun's motion
should be known in the infancy of Astronomy. Now reckoning that the year of
365 days wants five hours and 49 minutes of the Equinoctial year; the
beginning of this year will move backwards thirty and three days and five
hours in 137 years: and by consequence this year began at first in _Egypt_
upon the Vernal Equinox, according to the Sun's mean motion, 137 years
before the _AEra_ of _Nabonassar_ began; that is, in the year of the
_Julian_ Period 3830, or 96 years after the death of _Solomon_: and if it
began upon the next day after the Vernal Equinox, it might begin four years
earlier; and about that time ended the Reign of _Amenophis_: for he came
not from _Susa_ to the _Trojan_ war, but died afterwards in _Egypt_. This
year was received by the _Persian_ Empire from the _Babylonian_; and the
_Greeks_ also used it in the _AEra Philippaea_, dated from the Death of
_Alexander_ the great; and _Julius Caesar_ corrected it, by adding a day in
every four years, and made it the year of the _Romans_.

_Syncellus_ tells us, that the five days were added to the old year by the
last King of the Shepherds: and the difference in time between the Reign of
this King, and that of _Ammon_, is but small; for the Reign of the
Shepherds ended but one Generation, or two, before _Ammon_ began to add
those days. But the Shepherds minded not Arts and Sciences.

The first month of the Luni-solar year, by reason of the Intercalary month,
began sometimes a week or a fortnight before the Equinox or Solstice, and
sometimes as much after it. And this year gave occasion to the first
Astronomers, who formed the _Asterisms_, to place the Equinoxes and
Solstices in the middles of the Constellations of _Aries_, _Cancer_,
_Chelae_, and _Capricorn_. _Achilles Tatius_ [69] tells us, that _some
antiently placed the Solstice in the beginning of _Cancer_, o