Wednesday 10 June 2015

'Christian' names

The LGPN website features some discussion of the impact of Christianity on Greek onomastics. It cites Χριστό-δουλος and Χριστο-φόρος as examples, to which Σταύριος
can be added. Γρηγόριος could also be mentioned (whence, Gregory, perhaps with reference, e.g. to Mark 13: 35, 37). E.A. Sophocles, p. 1006, cites Σταυράκιος 'little cross' as a proper name in Theoph(anes) 706 (d. 800; ed. C. de Boor).

LGPN quotes a passage from John Chrysostom, which, I think, is the following from De inani gloria et de educandis liberis (lines 645 ff. in Malingrey's CERF edition):

Εὐκαίρως δὲ ἀνεμνήσθην καί με νῦν ὑπῆλθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος καὶ ἕτερόν τι νόημα. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; εὐθέως αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς προσηγορίας παρέχωμεν ἀρετῆς ζῆλον. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν εἰς τὰ τῶν προγόνων σπευδέτω καλεῖν ὀνόματα τὰ παιδία, τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῆς μητρὸς καὶ τοῦ πάππου καὶ τοῦ ἐπιπάππου, ἀλλ’ εἰς τὰ τῶν δικαίων, τῶν μαρτύρων, τῶν ἐπισκόπων, τῶν ἀποστόλων. Ἔστω αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῦτο ζῆλος· ὁ μὲν Πέτρος καλείσθω, ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης, ὁ δὲ ἑτέραν τινὰ προσηγορίαν ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων. Καὶ μή μοι τὰ ἔθη τὰ ἑλληνικά. Οὐ μικρὰ γὰρ αἰσχύνη καὶ κατάγελως, ὅταν ἐν οἰκίᾳ χριστιανῶν ἔθη τινὰ ἑλληνικὰ ἐπιτελῆται καὶ λύχνους ἀνάπτωσι καὶ ἀναμένωσιν ἐπιτηροῦντες τὸν σβεσθέντα πρῶτον καὶ καυθέντα, καὶ ἕτερά τινα τοιαῦτα ἅπερ οὐ τὸν τυχόντα ὄλεθρον ἐπάγει τοῖς τοιαῦτα ποιοῦσιν. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε μικρὰ εἶναί τινα καὶ εὐτελῆ τὰ γινόμενα.


A partial translation helped to locate this passage.

On a partially related note, an adjective σταυρo-αναστάσιμος 'relating to the crucifixion and resurrection' is reported by E.A. Sophocles, p. 1006. See
Acta Monasterii Theotoci Euergetae, Synaxarium Triodii et Pentecostarii.  Day 23P l. 12 and Day 34P l. 8, in the context of ἀναστάσιμος and of σταυρώσιμος.

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