Expert: Irulan Serena - 4/26/2005

Question
How were ancient Greeks named?  Sometimes I see someone with multiple names like Alcibiades Cleiniou Scambonides, who was a student of Socrates, but I can find only one name for Socrates himself.  Was Socrates his first name or his last name or did he only have one name?  The same questions for Plato and many others.

Thanks for any insight you may be able to offer.

Bev

Answer
Althouhg I have answered this question, I will do so again.


Ancient cultures [ Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Babylonian, Sumerian, Phoenician, Carthaginian, etc.] did not use names as we do today….. location / place of birth was used to identify the person. Example, Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta. Personal descriptions  and nicknames were also common and could sometimes virtually supersede the original name.…Plato for example …his real name was Aristocles, however this name was hardly if ever used, instead he was named Plot which means ‘wide / broad – this name was given to him by his fellow students at a gymnasium when he was young.

From the late C5th BC, Athenian males were often identified by adding their father's name in the genitive case or that of their deme or tribe to their personal name, however this was not a custom which became popular until the Roman Empire conquered Greece.  Foreigners also took the name of their town of country  for example …. Herodotus of Halicarnassus, the historian who lived in Athens. Nicknames

Socrates, as far as I known only by Socrates…. no other name is associated with him.  Usually boys were given the

Ancient cultures did no use multiple names or second names [surnames]  as the Romans did nor as we do today.

Here are some examples:

ARCHITECTS:

 ANDRONICUS OF CYRRHUS
CALLICRATES OF ATHENS
CHARES OF LINDUS
DAEDALUS OF ATHENS
DEINOCRATES OF RHODES
EUPALINUS
PARMENIO OF MACEDONIA
PYTHEOS OF HALICARNASSUS
SOSTRATUS OF CNIDUS
THEODOSIUS OF TRIPOLIS

PHYSICISTS:
ANAXAGORAS OF CLAZOMENAE
ANAXIMANDER OF MILETUS
ANAXIMENES OF LAMPSACUS
ARISTOTLE OF STAGIRA
BOLOS (DEMOCRITUS) OF MENDE
CHRYSIPPUS
CLEANTHES OF ASSOS
DEMOCRITUS
DIOCLES OF ALEXANDRIA
EMPEDOCLES OF ACRAGAS
HERACLEITUS OF EPHESUS
HERO OF ALEXANDRIA
LEUCIPPUS
MENELAUS OF ALEXANDRIA
PARMENIDES OF ELEA
PHILIPPUS OF OPUS
THALES OF MILETUS

PHYSICIANS
ARCHIGENES
CRATEUAS THE HERBALIST
CTESIAS OF CNIDUS
DIOSCORIDES PEDANIUS
EMPEDOCLES OF ACRAGAS
GALEN
HEROPHILUS
HIPPOCRATES
NICANDER OF COLOPHON

MATHEMATICIANS
ADRASTUS OF APHRODISIAS
AETHRA OF TROEZEN
APOLLONIUS OF PERGA
ARATUS OF SOLI
ARCHIMEDES OF SYRACUSE
ARCHYTAS OF TARENTUM
ARISTAEUS THE ELDER
ARISTOTLE OF STAGIRA
AUTOLYCUS OF PITANE
BOLOS (DEMOCRITUS) OF MENDE
CLEANTHES OF ASSOS
CTESIBIUS OF ALEXANDRIA
DAMO OF CROTON
DEMOCRITUS
DIOCLES OF ALEXANDRIA
DIOPHANTUS OF ALEXANDRIA
EUCLID
EUDEMUS OF RHODES
EUDOXUS OF CNIDUS
GEMINUS OF RHODES
HERO OF ALEXANDRIA
HIPPARCHUS OF RHODES
HIPPASUS OF METAPONTUM
HYPATIA
HYPSICLES OF ALEXANDRIA
IAMBLICHUS OF CHALCEDON
MARINOS OF TYRE
MENAECHMCUS OF THRACE
MENELAUS OF ALEXANDRIA
METON OF ATHENS
NICOMEDES OF ALEXANDRIA
OENOPIDES OF CHIOS
PAPPUS OF ALEXANDRIA
PARMENIO OF MACEDONIA
PHILIPPUS OF OPUS
PHILOLAUS
PHILONIDES OF LAODICEA
PROCLUS OF LYCIA (DIADOCHUS)
PYTHAGORAS
THALES OF MILETUS
THEAETHETUS OF ATHENS
THEANO OF THURII
THEODORE OF CYRENE
THEODOSIUS OF TRIPOLIS
THEON OF ALEXANDRIA
TIMAEUS OF LOCRI
XENOCRATES OF CHALCEDON
ZENO OF ELEA

ETC.

Here is a link to Greek philosophers:

http://www.livius.org/gi-gr/greeks/philosophers.html

Compare and see how some use only one name while others have a combination of names.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Irulan