Etos Kosmou (Ancient Greek: Έτος Κόσμου) was an early Byzantine and Roman Christian chronology system of measuring time introduced by Panodorus of Alexandria, Hippolytus of Rome, Sulpicius Severus, Annianus of Alexandria, George Syncellus, and others. It means, "Year of the Universe."
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Panodorus of Alexandria, in his work World Chronicle introduced a world era calculation, which reckoned 5,904 years from Adam (in Greek από κτίσεως κόσμου, apo ktiseos kosmou, "since the world's creation") to the year 412 CE, about which time he lived. This era is usually termed the "Antiochian era", or sometimes the "Alexandrian era". Its new year was also transferred to September 1, in which case the eight later months of its year 5493 are the eight former months of the year one of our chronology.
More important than this is the Byzantine world era, which long served as the standard of computation in the Eastern Empire, in Russia, among the Albanians, Serbs, Romanians and Modern Greeks. It counts sixteen years in excess of the Antiochian era, though likewise beginning the year with September 1; its year 5509 began with September 1 of the year one before Christ. Although clearly based on Septuagint's genealogies, exactly whence this specific numbering originated appears not to be known[1]. By the tenth century CE, this dating system (its beginning fixed at 5509 BCE) became standard in the Byzantine Empire and thereby, the Orthodox countries of Eastern Europe. But as similar Anno Mundi systems became very popular, they created a huge problem: end-of-world fever, caused by a threatening Seventh Day that equated to the end of the 6000-year period and corresponded to a date 500 years after Christ's birth year. So many Chiliasm, or Millenarianism, emphasizing religious movements arose at that period. In 1492 Sir Thomas Browne supported also the belief that the world was created in 5509 BCE and that its ordained lifetime was 7,000 years.
In medieval Russia, the chronological system was based on the creation of the world, that is according to the chronology established by Panadorus. It was only in times of Tsar Peter the First, in 1700, that the system "from the nativity of Christ" was introduced. Upon returning from his embassy to western Europe, Tsar Peter changed the Russian New Year's Day from September 1 (the date used in the Roman (Byzantine) empire) to January 1, the conventional date in the West. He also altered the method of counting years, adopting the Anno Domini system. Thus, January 1, 7208 (dated according to the "year of the world", or Anno Mundi, that is 5509 BCE) became January 1, 1700. The Tsar did not, however, adopt the Gregorian calendar. He simply conformed Russia’s Julian calendar to the form of the Julian calendar then still used in England and many other Protestant territories.
To this day, traditional Orthodox Christians will use the Byzantine calculation of the Etos Kosmou in conjunction with the Anno Domini year. Both dates appear on Orthodox cornerstones, ecclesiastical calendars and formal documents. The ecclesiastical new year is still observed on September 1 (for those churches which follow the Julian Calendar, their September 1 falls on the Gregorian Calendar's September 14).