JULIAN Period, in Chronology, a period so called, as being adapted to the Julian year.

It is made to commence before the creation of the world. Its principal advantage lies here, that the same years of the cycles of the sun, moon, and indiction, of which three cycles it was made to consist by Joseph Scaliger in 1580, belonging to any year of this period, will never fall together again till after the expiration of 7980 years. There is taken for the first year of this period that which hath the first of the cycle of the sun, the first of the cycle of the moon, and the first of the indiction cycle, and so reckoning on.

The first year of the Christian era is always, in our systems systems of chronology, the 4714th of the Julian period.

To find what year of the Julian period any given year of Christ answers to: To the given year of Christ add 4713, because so many years of the Julian period were expired A.D. 1; and the sum gives the year of the Julian period sought.

On the contrary, having the year of the Julian period given, to find what year of Christ answers thereto: From the year of the Julian period given subtract 4713, and the remainder will be the year sought.

Julian, S., a harbour on the south of Patagonia, in South America, where ships usually touch that are bound to the South Seas. S. Lat. 48. 15.