300w, 1024w, 768w, 150w, 600w, 696w, 1392w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px" data-lazy-src="https://greekreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Acropolis-Greece-fireworks-2022-new-year-credit-GR.jpg" data-ll-status="loaded" />Celebrating the advent of the New Year was among the most universal pagan traditions. Credit: Greek Reporter
New Year’s Eve was celebrated in ancient times and ancient Greece, contrary to what some may believe.
Celebrating the advent of the New Year on January 1st amidst the cold bleakness of winter is actually among the most universal pagan traditions.
The custom of marking the beginning of the New Year is at least 4,000 years old and has its roots in ancient Babylon in Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamians worshipped the sun at least 2,000 years before the birth of Christ. These pagan customs were passed on to ancient Greece directly from the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon.
Before this contact, ancient Greeks were not known to celebrate the New Year other than marking the “sickle of the new moon” upon recognizing the visible new moon as the beginning of each new month.
They practiced this custom in honor of Selene, Apollon Noumenios, Hestia and the other household gods, also known as noumenia.
Epigraph discovered shows New Year’s eve was celebrated in ancient times
However, an epigraph discovered in Athens tells of a religious ceremony that took place at the beginning of the New Year, or actually on the last day of the outgoing year.
The celebration was in fact a sacrifice made by the outgoing officials of the city, which they would offer to “Zeus the Savior” and “Athena the Savior”. This was done to ensure the blessings and favor of the two gods for the coming new year.
It was not until ancient Roman times, and while Rome was growing in power, that New Year festivities began to become extremely popular. A celebration known as Saturnalia, a time of reveling, drinking bouts, orgies and human sacrifice in honor of the god Saturn, was instituted as the festival of January 1st by Julius Caesar.
The Roman emperor did this in 46 B.C. upon his epochal decision to adopt the Julian calendar.
The popularity of the orgiastic celebration of Saturnalia spread to all corners of the Roman Empire and continued to integrate, with local alterations, into the existing customs of all peoples within the Empire’s boundaries, including those of ancient Greece.
It was Julius Caesar and Sosigenes of Alexandria, an astronomer whom Caesar consulted for the design of the Julian calendar, who are responsible for bringing the count of the days of the year into conformity with the course of the sun.
All in all, the sequence, duration and names of the months we still use today are in great part a result of the perception and insight of the great Roman politician and strategist.
In ancient Greece, city-states used their own calendar
In classical Greece, every city-state used its own calendar, with different names of the months, beginnings of the year, and intercalations, or insertions of extra time periods. However, most of the calendars shared some common features.
The Greeks used lunisolar calendars with years of 12 or 13 months and 354 days. A month could be considered “hollow” or “full,” having either 29 or 30 days respectively. Periodically an extra month had to be inserted, or intercalated, to keep the calendar in line with the circuit of the seasons.
In the most well-known and historically-substantiated Athenian calendar, the civil calendar, (there were other two calendars as well), the intercalated month came after the annual month named Poseidon.
It was known as “Second Poseidon”. Some months were named after the festivals celebrated during the months, for example:
Hekatombaion
Metageitnion
Boedromion
Pyanopsion
Maimakterion
Poseideon (intercalated month)
Gamelion
Anthesterion
Elaphebolion
Mounychion
Thargelion
Skirophorion
The Greek year in those times began on the first sighting of the crescent moon after the first new moon following the summer solstice. Intercalation followed no fixed pattern, although several cycles were known to be used in Greece.
Inca Chasqui Relay Roadrunners Revolutionized Communication
In an era devoid of the internet and telephone, the ancient Inca—reigning from the 15th to 16th centuries—turned to the Chasqui runners to provide direct communication. Operating in the Andean heartlands, these skilled messengers relayed messages swiftly, showcasing remarkable efficiency in navigating the challenging terrain.
The term Chasqui translates to "reception” or “the one who exchanges" in Quechua. These skilled individuals were the backbone of the Inca communication system, covering extensive distances to deliver important messages between the far reaches of the empire, also known as Tahuantinsuyo, which once spanned a massive territory reaching from modern-day Colombia in the north to Chile in the south.
The Inca Empire was united by a vast road network spanning over 40,000 km (25,000 miles). Known as the Qhapac Ñan, these roads were a remarkable feat of engineering, designed to connect and sustain the expansive Inca civilization, fundamental for transporting food, mobilizing the military and providing much-needed communication.
Contemporary Spanish chroniclers vividly described Chasqui runners. According to these records, the Chasqui runners were chosen from a young age and underwent rigorous training, including running at high altitudes, the importance of secrecy and mastering the art of memory and message relay.
The Chasqui roadrunners were used to relay official messages along the vast Inca road network. (daniiD / Adobe Stock)
Messengers of the Andes: The Remarkable Legacy of the Inca Chasquis
Charged with delivering messages to and from the Inca emperor, as well as news from distant realms, the Chasquis were capable of covering astonishing distances via a coordinated effort. Runners would run for about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) until they reached the next relay station, called a chaskiwasi.
The speed and efficiency of this 24-hour service allowed Inca rulers to stay well-informed about their vast empire, enabling quick decision-making and strategic responses. It is believed that 25 runners could cover 240 kilometers (150 miles) in a day. By this calculation, they could cover the distance from Quito to Cuzco in about a week.
Historians claim that the Chasqui roadrunners delivered official messages in two ways; either verbally or by transporting quipus—a record-keeping device made of knotted strings. They carried a conch shell trumpet known as a pututu, which was sounded to alert the next runner that they were approaching. Chasquis supposedly wore white feathers on their heads so the next runner could easily see them.
The Chasqui runners stand as a testament to the ingenuity of the Inca Empire in overcoming geographical challenges. Their ability to relay messages at extraordinary speeds not only facilitated effective communication but also played a crucial role in the empire's administration and cohesion. In exploring the world of the Chasqui, we uncover a fascinating chapter in ancient Andean history, where the swift footsteps of messengers connected the sprawling reaches of the Inca Empire.
Top image: A Chasqui roadrunner playing his pututu. Source: Public domain
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