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Thread: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

  1. #1

    Default Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    Hi,

    I've got a historical question:

    In your Mod "Europa Barbaroum" the Greek, Epirote and Macedon Family Members have names
    such as: "Areus Eurypontidos Lakedaimonos" (which indicates he is from the dynasty of Eurypontids and from Sparte.)

    But did the Greek,Makedon,Ptolemaic etc. Strategoi or kings have such names, is this historical or is this fanmade?

  2. #2
    King of kemet Member Hamata's Avatar
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    Default Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    i think you best post this in the EB forum

  3. #3

    Default Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    Hi,

    Can maybe some administrator move this post to "Europa Barbarorum"?

  4. #4

    Default Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    AFAIK each Greek got one given name and no family name. He might be better known by his knickname. (Plato, for instance.) If two people had the same name, and you wanted to specify which, you would say whose son he was, for example "Alcibiades, son of Clinias." If you were talking about someone from out of town, then most people would not know his father's name anyway, so you would say what town he was from, for instance "Diogenes of Sinope."

    That's the best I can do from what little I remember. I hope someone beter informed will comment.
    Last edited by Brandy Blue; 01-04-2012 at 06:31.
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  5. #5
    Arrogant Ashigaru Moderator Ludens's Avatar
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    Lightbulb Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    That's how I understand it too. Greeks had only a single proper name, so to identify themselves to strangers they would mention their area of origin or their father's name. Well-known families were sometimes identified by the name of a famous ancestor, whether real or mythological (e.g. the Alcmaeonidae). I am not sure if members of such families would use these names themselves, though.
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  6. #6
    COYATOYPIKC Senior Member Flatout Minigame Champion Arjos's Avatar
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    Default Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    The most basic form was, as people said, given name + patronymic...
    With the region or ethnicity omitted unless if giving one's name abroad: given name + patronymic + ethnicity or given name + ethnicity...
    While in poleis with demes, people used their demotic: given name + patronymic + demotic...
    Last edited by Arjos; 01-04-2012 at 11:19.

  7. #7
    Member Member Zarakas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    In some parts of Greece people were identified by their Clan name. Some ancient clan names still exist today. Not all ancient Greeks lived in city-states. Some lived as tribes that were made up of different clans.

    Zarakas

  8. #8

    Default Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    so the newb in me reawakening asks whats a demo ?

  9. #9

    Default Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    Quote Originally Posted by Zarakas View Post
    In some parts of Greece people were identified by their Clan name. Some ancient clan names still exist today. Not all ancient Greeks lived in city-states. Some lived as tribes that were made up of different clans.

    Zarakas
    Even Athens and Rome had 'tribes'.

    A 'demos' is an identifiable (political) group; the people of a city that can vote etc.

    A 'demotic' name is popular or commonly used name. In ancient Egypt there was a demotic language etc, but like medieval England where Latin or French was used for 'state' business while most 'normal' people spoke English.
    Last edited by SoFarSoGood; 07-20-2012 at 11:27.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Name-giving in Ancient Greece

    thanks i was considering that but since i wasn´t sure about it

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