Meton of Athens

Meton ( altgr. Μέτων ), the son of Pausanias, was an astronomer in ancient Greece. He lived in the fifth century BC in Athens. On his behalf, the term Metonic cycle goes back.

Origin

He is commonly referred to as the Athenians. Claudius Aelianus but says he was a Laconians, like the Spartans were called. Also his father's name was originally a Spartan Pausanias name. In the comedy The Birds of Aristophanes, a contemporary Metons, Pisthetairos says to him Man pushing here, as in Sparta, the stranger from! Many a was eliminated, and beating it's raining in the city! This supports Aelians giving especially as it was at that time at war with Sparta.

Metons work

Meton was a student of Phaeinos of Athens. From Meton himself no records are maintained. He was one of the first astronomers in ancient Greece. He will be permanently remembered by the terms Meton - year Metonic period and Meton cycle. On the Pnyx he erected a sundial, also called Heliotropion, of which the foundations are now suspected right next to the altar of Zeus Agoraios.

As Metonic cycle is regarded in modern historical literature a period of 19 years or by 6940 days. This is an indirect determination of the length of the solar year, the Meton needed to make on the Parapegma he built on the hill Colonus Agoraios near the Athenian Agora general information about the weather in regions dependent on the solar year seasons. As a beginning of such 19 - year period, he chose the summer solstice of the year 432 BC, he observed this year along with Euctemon on 13 Skirophorion ( June 22). The context is that 19 solar years are also approximately the same length as 235 synodic months, was known to the Babylonians and was used by them since the 5th century BC for the intercalation of the civilian lunisolar calendar. Meton and Euctemon probably had knowledge of it, but needed him not to apply because they did not run a new lunisolar calendar (among other things began no new real lunar month together with the first Metonic cycle on the day of the summer solstice of the year 432 BC). This equality of period lengths of integer multiples of two orbital motions among themselves and with a whole number of days was used consistently proven as a prototype for later use ( for example in the Easter calculation ) in the Seleucid era for the intercalation of a lunisolar calendar.

The custom of the Meton period of 19 years used to be called cycle is misleading. Your correct name would be Meton period. Is correct, however, the sequel to refer to themselves all 19 years repeating meeting of the sun and moon before the same stars as the Metonic cycle.

Other traditions

In the year 415 BC Metons son should attend the Sicilian expedition. Since Meton in anticipation, that this will be a disaster - some said, he would have recognized at an unfavorable constellation of stars - he tried to prevent the participation of his son. Therefore, he set fire to his own house and gave madness before. Well, he asked for his great misfortune his son from military service to free and finally succeeded.

In the comedy The Birds, which was first performed as a stage play in the year 414 BC, Meton appears as " surveyor " and do absurd things, among others, he tried to square the circle. But it would be risky to conclude from this burlesque Metons real mathematical interests.

According to him, the moon crater Meton was named.