Metons

Metons is most commonly encountered as the plural form of the personal name Meton, most notably referring to Meton of Athens, a Greek astronomer who lived in the 5th century BCE. In historical and scholarly texts, Metons may appear when discussing multiple individuals named Meton or when referring to works associated with the Meton name. The term itself has no widely recognized modern definition beyond its use as a proper noun plural or possessive form.

The best-known attribution associated with the name is the Metonic cycle, also called the Meton cycle, named after Meton of Athens. According to ancient sources, Meton, working with the Greek astronomer Euctemon, observed a close alignment between the solar year and the number of lunar months over a 19-year period. This correspondence—roughly 19 solar years equal to 235 synodic lunar months—allows the phases of the Moon to recur on or near the same days of the year. The Metonic cycle provides the foundation for intercalation schemes in lunisolar calendars, enabling calendars to stay in step with both the sun and the moon. The cycle influenced ancient calendars and continued to inform calendar design in various cultures; its practical use persists in modern calendar systems that rely on lunisolar adjustments.

In contemporary use, Metons as a term is rare outside historical or genealogical contexts. When encountered, it typically denotes multiple individuals named Meton or serves as a textual form connected to the Meton name rather than as a distinct concept.

See also: Meton of Athens, Metonic cycle, Euctemon.