EPO
[ 329 ]
EPO
- .c. old Men. But Athens is not the only Place where the Churches of the Eafi and Well- Wonylius to com
there arc Epitropi. They are in all the Iflands of the pofe the fame, firft proposed a new Form of the Tear with
Jrebipelago.
Some Latin Authors of the V tb Century, call Epitropi, thofc who more anciently were call'd Villici, and fince Vidames. See Vidame.
In Times ftill earlier, the Greeks applied the Term gOTT^o-©-, in the fame Senfe as the Latins did <Procura-
a few Tears Time was pene-
new general JEra, which i rally admitted.
2)ionyfius began his Account from the Conception, or Incarnation, popularly call'd Lady-Day, or the Annuncia- tion : Which Method ftill obtains in the Dominions* of Great Sritain, and there only; fo that the SHoavHax
--1.. :_ *L.. r„ T„ -L_ _.1__ ^ JJ . '
for, viz. for a Commiflioner, or Intendant : Thus the and Englijb Epocba, is the fame. In the other Countrie Commiffioners ot Provifions in the 'Pcrjian Army, are of Europe, they reckon from the ijl of January - 7 except
call'd by Herodotus, and Xenopbon, Epitropi j and in the New Teftamcnt, 'Emr^©-, is the Intendant of a Houfe, render'd in the vulgate 'Procurator.
EPLOYE, in Heraldry. An Eagle Eploye, is what in Englijh we more ufually call an Eagle difplay'd, or Spread Eagle. See Disi'lAv'd and Eagle.
in the Court of Rome, where the Epocba of the Incarnation ftill obtains for the Date of their Bulls.
It muft be added, that this Epocba of 'Dionyfius is charged with a Miftake : The common Opinion is, that it places cur Saviour's Nativity a Year too late; or, that he was born the Winter preceding the Time prefcribed
EPOCHA, or JEra, in Chronology, a Term, or fix'd by dionyfius for his Conception.
Point of Time, whence the Years are number'd, or accounted. . But, the Truth is, the Fault lies on Seda, who mif-
See Year. ' interpreted Dionyfius, and whofe Interpretation we follow;
The Word is form'd of the Greek, im X \ inbibitio, re- * s J* 1 be ™ fl 2™ n h J Tetanias, from 'Dionyfius\ own
trefto, of ™y«„ to Main, Jtop; by reafon the Epocba ** lft ' es )■*% Wcm/uts began his Cycle from the Year 0*
•defines, or limits a certain Space of Time. See Time. ^? ul ll n J.t™L 'J 1 , 1 ' bl i! hls , $«*» j»* **> }™
Very different Epochs, or Epochal, obtain in different
of
Nations; and no wonder : for there being no astrono- mical Confidcration to render one preferable to another, their Conftitution is purely arbitrary.
That principally regarded among Chriftians, is the Epo- cba of the Nativity, or Incarnation of Jesus Christ 5 that of the Mahometans, the Hegira 5 that of the Jews, G?c. the Creation of the World; that of the ancient Greeks, the Olympiads; that of the Romans, the Building of the City; that of the ancient Perfians and Affyrians, the Epocba of Nabonaffar, &c.
The Doctrine and Ufe of Epochal, is of very great Ex- tent in Chronology. See Chronology.
To reduce the Years of one Epocba to thofe of another, i. e. to find what Year of one, correfponds to a given Year of another; a Period of Years has been invented, which commencing before all the known Epochal, is, as it were, a common Receptacle of them all, call'd the Julian 'Pe- riod. _ To this Period all the Epwcha's are reduced, /. e. the Year of this Period, whereon each Epocba commences, is determined. All that remains, therefore, is to add the given Year of one Epocba, to the Year of the Period correfponding with its Rife; and from the fame to fub- tract the Year of the fame Period correfponding to the other Epocba. The Remainder is the Year of that other Epoch a. Sec Julian Period.
The Ehocha of Cbrif, or our Lord, is the vulgar Epocba throughout Europe; commencing from our Saviour's Nativi- ty, ^December 25; or rather, according to the ufual Account, from his Circumcifion, the i(l of January; but parti- cularly in England, from the Incarnation, or Annunciation of the Bleffed Virgin, on the 25 th of March; Nine Months prior to the Nativity. See Nativity, Circum- cision, Annunciation, ©c,
Now, the Year of the Julian Period whereon Cbrif was born, and circumcifed, is ufually computed to be the Year 4713 • confequently, the firft Year of the JEra. of Cbrif, correfponds to the Year 4714 of the Julian Period.
Hence, i°. If to any given Year of Cbrif, you add 4713, the Sum will be the Year of the Julian Period correfponding thereto. E. gr. if to the prefentYear 1725, be added 4713, the Sum 6438, is the prefent Year of the Julian Period.
2 . On the contrary, fubtracting 4713, from any given Year of the Julian Period, the Remainder is the current Year of Cbrif, e. gr. From the Year of the Julian Period 6438, fubtraciing 4713, the Remainder is the Year of Cbrif 1725
1 713, wherein the vulgar _£ra fuppofes Cbrif to have been incarnate.
The Year, therefore, which according to the vulgar Epocba is the if Year of Cbrif; according to Z)ionyfius's JEt-a, is the %d. So that the prefent Year, which we call 1725, fhou'd, in Juftice, be 1725. Tho' fome Chronolo- gifts, inftead of one Year, will have the Error two.
To this vulgar ./Era, as a fure, fix'd Point, Chronologcrs ufe to reduce all the other Epocba' 's; tho' there is not one of 'em but what is controverted : So much Uncer- tainty there is in Time. We fliall exhibit 'em as reduced to the Julian Period.
Epocha of the Creation, or Orbis conditi, according to the Computation of the Jews, call'd' alfo the Je-wif* Epocba, is the Year of the Julian Period 953; anfwer- ing to the Year before Cbrif 37613 and commences on the 7 tb Day of October.
Hence, fubtracting 952 Years from any given Year of the Julian Period, the Remainder is the Year of the Jeivift Epocha, correfponding thereto. Thus, e. gr. the prefent Year being the 6438 f# Year of the Jiilian Period 5 it is the 54.86th Year of the Je-ivip Epocha, or fince the Creation of the World.
This Epocha is ftill in Ufe among the Jews. The Epocha of the Creation, ufed by the Greek Hiftorians, is the Year before the Julian Period 787; anfwering to the Year before Cbrif 5500.
Hence, to any given Year of the Julian Period, adding 787; the Sum gives the Year of this Epocha. E. gr. 6458 being the prefent Year of the Julian Period; 7390 is the prefent Y'car of this Epocba, or the Age of the World, according to this Computation.
The Author of this Epocha, is Julius Africanus, who collected it from the Hiftorians. But when it came to be admitted into civil Ufe, 8 Years were added to it 5 that fo, every Year thereof divided by 15, might exhibit the Indiclion, which the Eafern Emperors ufed in their Char- ters and Diploma's.
The Epocba of the Creation ufed by the later Greeks, and Ruffians, is the Year 795, before the Julian Period 5 or the Year 5509 before Cbrif; commencing from the if Day of September. Tho' the Ruffians, having lately admitted the Julian Calendar, begin their Year from the 17? of January.
Hence, adding 795, to the Year of the Julian Period, the Sum gives the Year of this Epocba. Thus, e. gr. the Julian Period of the prefentYear being 54385 the prefent Year of this Epocba, ■ i. e, the Years from the Creation, on this Footing, are 7233. Again, from the
the Remainder is the
In Effect, the Epocha of our Lord, fcrves not only for the pre f ent y C ar 7123 fub^raffin" 5500V t
Computation of the Years elapfed fmce the Epocha com- ^ of thc 'J*^ ^ ° 3
menced 3 but even of thole before it. This ^ w?s ufed by tfae E rs of the Eafi in
Now, to find thc Year of the Julian Period, corre- their Diplomata, &c. And thence alfo call'd the Civil
fponding to a given Year before Cbrif; fubtract the given jp ra f the Greeks.!n Reality, it is the fame with the
Year from 4714; the Remainder is thc correfponaent E p c ] oa f the ConfiantinopoUtan Period j whence fame
Year required. Thus e. gr.- the :Year before Cbrif 75*, call it the Epocba of the "Period of Conftantinofle.
is the Year 3955 ot the Julian Period. On the contrary, S cc p ERI0D .
fubtracting the Year of the Julian Period from 4714, &e The Alexandrian Epocha of the Creation, is the Year
Remainder is thc Year before Cbrif. 7 8 0) before the Julian Period; anfwering to thc Year
The Author of the vulgar Epocba, or Way of comput- before GMf 5494; and commencing on the 19th Day of
ing from Cbrif, is an Abbot of Rome, one Dionyfius Anguf.
Exiguus, by Nation a Scythian; who nouri/h'd under Hence, adding 5493, to the prefent Year of Cbrif 17255 Jufinian, about the Year 507: Tho' Dionyfius borrowed the Sum, 7218, gives the prefent Year of this Epocba-^ the Hint from <Panodorus a. Greek Monk. Till his or Years elapfed fince the Creation, according to this Corn- Time, thc Generality of Chriftians computed their Years, putation.
e ' the JL fr°m the Building of Rome, or according to This Epocba was firft conccricd by Panodorus, a
the Order of the Emperors and Confuls, and the other Monk o£ Egypt, to facilitate the Computation of Eafsr 3
Ways m Ufe with the People they lived among. whence, fome call it, Greek Ecchfiafical Epocba.
This Diverfity occafioning a great Diffraction between
U u * The
