Most ancient calendars were lunisolar. In Ancient Greece, each state had its own lunisolar calendar with unique names for each month:
Athens
«Ἑκατομβαιών» Hĕkătŏmbai̯ṓn (masc.) = middle/late June to mid-July --> lit.
(month of) hecatombe, sacrifices dedicated to Apollo.
«Μεταγειτνιών» Mĕtăgei̯tniṓn (masc.) = middle/late July - mid-August --> lit.
month of changing neighbourhoods (
«μετά» mĕtắ +
«γείτων» geí̯tōn) dedicated to Apollo, who in Athens had the epithet «Μεταγείτνιος» Mĕtăgeí̯tniŏs (masc.).
«Βοηδρομιών» Bŏēdrŏmiṓn (masc.) = middle/late August - mid-September (
«βοή» bŏḗ +
«δραμοῦμαι» drămoûmaĭ the suppleted future form of
«τρέχω» trékʰō) --> lit.
month of giving succour dedicated to Apollo, who in Athens had also the epithet «Βοήδρομος» Bŏḗdrŏmŏs (masc.).
«Πυανεψιών» Pŭănĕpsiṓn = middle/late September - mid-October (
«πύανος» púanŏs +
«ἕψω» hépsō) --> lit.
month of boiling beans dedicated to Apollo (again).
«Μαιμακτηριών» Mai̯măktēriṓn (masc.) = middle/late October - mid-November (from
«μαιμάω» mai̯máō) -->
month of boisterous Zeus; Zeus had the epithet «Μαιμάκτης» Mai̯máktēs (masc.).
«Ποσειδεών» Pŏsei̯dĕṓn (masc.) = middle/late November - mid-December (dedicated to Poseidon).
«Γαμηλιών Gămēliṓn» = late December - mid-January (from
«γάμος» gắmŏs) dedicated to the sacred marital bond between Zeus and Hera.
Ἀνθεστηριών Ăntʰĕstēriṓn = (early Classical era) late December - late January, (Classical era) late February - mid-March (from
«ἄνθος» ắntʰŏs) --> lit.
month of flowers (named after the flowers the faithful offered to the dead) dedicated to Dionysus, who in Athens had the epithet «Ἀνθεστήριος» Ăntʰĕstḗriŏs (masc.).
«Ἐλαφηβολιών» Ĕlăpʰēbŏliṓn (masc.) = (early Classical era) late February - mid-March, (Classical era) late February - late March (
«ἔλαφος» élapʰŏs +
«βάλλω» bắllō) --> lit.
month of hunting deer dedicated to Artemis, who was called «Ἐλαφηβόλος» Ĕlăpʰēbólŏs (fem.).
«Μουνυχιών Mounŭkʰiṓn (masc.) = late March - mid-April --> lit.
month of Mounychia dedicated to Artemis, who in Athens had the epithet «Μουνυχία» Mounŭkʰíā (named after «Μουνυχία» Mounŭkʰíā, the main harbour of Piraeus where the goddess was venerated locally).
«Θαργηλιών» Tʰărgēliṓn (masc.) = middle/late April - late May (
«θέρω» tʰérō +
«ἥλιος» hḗliŏs) --> lit.
month of hot sun dedicated to Apollo and Artemis; it was the first month of summer.
«Σκιροφοριών» Skĭrŏpʰŏriṓn (masc.) = late May - middle/late June --> lit.
month of offering the sacred veil dedicated to Athena; the
«Σκίρᾱ» Skírā, a sacred veil, Athenian women had weaved the previous year, was offered to the goddess («Σκίρᾱ» +
«φέρω» pʰérō).
Sparta
«Ἀρτεμίσιος Ărtĕmĭsiŏs» (masc.) = mid-March - mid-April, month dedicated to Artemis.
«Γεράστιος» Gĕrắstiŏs and
«Γεραίστιος» Gĕraí̯stiŏs (masc.) = mid-April - mid-May (from
«γέρας» géras) --> lit.
month of reverence, dedicated to Poseidon.
«Φλιάσιος» Pʰlĭắsiŏs (masc.) = mid-May - mid-June --> lit.
month of Phliasian wine (named after the
Phliasian Plain, home of the best ancient Greek wine), dedicated to Dionysus.
«Ἀγριάνιος» Ăgrĭắniŏs (masc.) = mid-June - mid-July (from the adj.
«ἄγριος» ắgriŏs) --> lit.
month of savages (named after the three daughters of Proitos,
Lyssippa, Iphinoe and
Iphianassa who according to myth, snubbed the feast of Dionysus, the god punished them by turning them mad and like wandering savages the girls climbed tall mountains for the rest of their lives); dedicated to Dionysus.
«Ὑακίνθιος» Hŭăkíntʰiŏs = mid-July - mid-August --> lit.
month of Hyacinth, dedicated to the lesser god venerated locally, «Ὑάκινθος» Hŭắkintʰŏs (masc.).
«Καρνεῖος» Kărneî̯ŏs (masc.) = mid-August - mid-September --> lit.
month of Ram, dedicated to the lesser god venerated locally, «Κάρνος» Kắrnŏs (masc.) which is the Doric name for ram, also an epithet of Apollo, and Dionysus.
«Πάναμος» Pắnamŏs (masc.) = mid-September - mid-October --> lit.
month of long days dedicated to
Panamian Zeus («πάναμος» pắnamŏs (masc. & fen,) is Doric for «πανήμερος» pănḗmĕrŏs (
«πᾶν» pân +
«ἡμέρᾱ» hēmérā),
all day long).
«Ἡράσιος» Hērắsiŏs (masc.) = mid-October - mid-November --> lit.
month of Hera.
«Ἀπελλαῖος» Ăpĕllaî̯ŏs (masc.) = mid-November - mid-December --> lit.
month of Apollo («Ἀπέλλων» Ăpéllōn was the name of Apollo in the Doric Greek dialect).
Unfortunately no information is available concerning the name of the last Spartan month or any intercalary months in the Spartan calendar.
Kingdom of Macedon
«Δῖος» Dîŏs (masc.) = mid-October - mid-November --> lit.
month of Zeus (adj.
«δῖος» dîŏs,
belonging to heaven, godlike also
belonging to Zeus).
«Ἀπελλαῖος» Ăpĕllaî̯ŏs (masc.) = mid-November - mid-December; «Ἀπέλλων» Ăpéllōn was the name of Apollo in the Doric Greek dialect.
«Αὐδηναῖος» Au̯dēnaî̯ŏs (masc.) = mid-December - mid-January --> lit.
month of loud sounds (from
«αὐδή» au̯dḗ).
«Περίτιος» Pĕrítiŏs = mid-January - mid-February --> lit.
honoured month (i.e.
great, long), from the Doric verb
«περιτίω» pĕrĭtíō (
«περί» pĕrí +
«τίω» tíō,
to bestow honour).
«Δύστρος» Dústrŏs (masc.) = mid-February - mid-March --> lit.
Ill-tempered month (possibly from the prefix
«δυσ-» dus-).
«Ξανθικός» Κsăntʰikós (masc.) = mid-March - mid-April --> lit.
month of Xanthion (Xanthium Strumarium, a plant used by the Macedonians for dyeing the hair blond) dedicated to Apollo, who had the epithet «Ξανθικός» Κsăntʰikós.
«Ἀρτεμίσιος Ărtĕmĭsiŏs» (masc.) = mid-April - mid-May, month dedicated to Artemis.
«Δαίσιος» Daí̯siŏs (masc.) = mid-May - mid-June --> lit.
month of meal (from the Doric
«πανδαίσιον» păndaí̯siŏn (neut.),
«πᾶν» pân +
«δαίς» daí̯s; «πανδαίσια» were outdoor social gatherings at which food was cooked and distributed).
«Πάνημος» Pắnēmŏs (masc.) = mid-June - mid-July --> lit.
month of long days (from «πανήμερος» pănḗmĕrŏs (
«πᾶν» pân +
«ἡμέρᾱ» hēmérā),
all day long).
«Λῷος» Lô̩ŏs (masc.) = mid-July - mid-August --> lit.
Best month («λῷος» is the Doric superlative for the adj.
«ἀγαθός» ăgatʰós; the Attic superlative is «λῷστος» lô̩stŏs).
«Γορπιαῖος» Gŏrpĭaî̯ŏs (masc.) = mid-August - mid-September --> lit.
Grim month (from the adj.
«γοργωπός» gŏrgōpós «γοργός» gŏrgós +
«ὤψ» ṓps).
The ancient Macedonian calendar had two intercalary lunisolar months:
-
«Ὑπερβερεταῖος» Ηŭpĕrbĕrĕtaî̯ŏs (masc.) = mid-September - mid-October --> lit.
month of excess term (Doric verb
«ὑπερβέρω» hŭpĕrbérō, Attic
«ὑπερφέρω» hŭpĕrpʰérō,
to surpass, excel,
«ὑπέρ» hŭpér +
«φέρω» pʰérō).
-
«Ἐμβόλιμος» Ĕmbŏlimŏs (masc.) --> lit.
Intercalary month (
«ἐν» ĕn +
«βάλλω» bắllō).
