Acoreus was an
Egyptian
''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...
[Lee Fratantuono, ''Madness Triumphant: A Reading of Lucan's Pharsalia'', Lexington Books, 2012, p. 409: "Acoreus, the linen-wearing Egyptian priest".] priest, astronomer, ... consulted by
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
, according to the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
writer
Lucan
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (3 November AD 39 – 30 April AD 65), better known in English as Lucan (), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba, Hispania Baetica (present-day Córdoba, Spain). He is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imper ...
us, asking him many questions about
ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
’s history and
its calendar, but says he would like nothing as much as hearing the cause of the flooding of the Nile and to see its source. Acoreus proceeds to give an account of the Nile, including the time and possible causes of its flooding and its course.
Julius Caesar based his calendar on this Egyptian knowledge of the average solar year supplied by
Sosigenes.
See also
*
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acoreus
Ancient Roman astronomers
1st-century BC Romans
1st-century BC astronomers