Moreover, after the present Basileus had come into office, there were thirty clear days from the first of Hecatombaeon onwards,Hecatombaeon was the first month of the official Attic year; it extended from 22nd June to 21st July. Metageitnion followed it. on any of which they could have registered their charge, had they wanted to; yet they did not do so. Similarly, they could have registered it any day they liked from the first of Metageitnion onwards. But even then they did not do so: they let twenty days of this second month by as well. Thus the total number of days in the present archonship on which they could have registered their charge, but failed to do so, was over fifty.The words over fifty look like a rhetorical exaggeration. For the bearing of this and the following section on the date of the speech, see Introduction.