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will find that August 31st in that year actually was what we call Sunday. Supposing then that the idea of the planetary week was first conceived in Egypt (and we have to remember that Dion says that it was) at a date later than 30 B.C., it would be natural that those who began the observance should take as their starting-point the first hour of their own era. They would still have to decide which planet should start it, and two answers might be given to this question. In one sense the natural starting-point of the week is either Saturn or the Moon, the two extremes of the series, and we have seen that in Dositheus' case and others it appears to be arranged from Saturn downwards. In another sense, however, the natural planet to lead is the Sun who, though his throne is situated in the middle of the Seven, is obviously king of them all. It is possible therefore that Egyptian astrologers may have assumed that their era began with the Sun and the rest would follow automatically. My objection to this solution, which I find in many ways tempting, is that it throws the origin of the week very late. It would be certainly impossible to square it with the ordinary interpretation of the passage in Tibullus, for it is inconceivable
remembering that January 1st, A.D. 1 fell on Saturday, and also that in the Julian calendar the days of the week recur on the same days of the year after 28 years. Thus January 1st in 28 B.C. was Saturday, and as 29 B.C. was a leap-year January 1st in 30 B.C. was Wednesday. A few minutes' calculation, if a calendar is not at hand, will of course give the rest.
