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Project
Inspired by the Gods: Theophoric Names in Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt
My dissertation focuses on theophoric names -some 200,000 attestations-in Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt (ca. 800 B.C.-A.D.500). On the basis of these names the chronological and geographical diversity of Egyptian religion is mapped in the period between 800 B.C. and A.D.500, when Christianity had taken over from the old religion and onomastic patterns had changed drastically.
The reason for the focus on personal names is twofold. Firstly, religion is very much present in Egyptian onomastics. Secondly, names are given intentionally to a person. They reflect values of common people and of the society that formed thosepeople. Due to their dependence on social values, names are sensible totrends. When changes occured in Egyptian religion, these were reflectedin the personal names. Religion was moreover geographically diverse; anthroponyms can therefore be connected to a specific region.
For my research I start from the Trismegistos database which gathers all published documentary texts -Egyptian and Greek- dated between 800 B.C. and A.D. 800. All the names mentioned in those texts are likewise collected.The amount of attestations dated over such a long period and included into a digital platform forms an excellent tool for statistical research:the popularity of types and deities can easily be calculated.
Myresearch consists of two parts. In the first one a typology of theophoric names is developed based on their meaning and grammar. Each type is discussed with attention for gender ratio, theological variation -which gods occur- and the geographical spread and chronological evolution. The Egyptian and Greek names are treated separately. For both languages an overview of the most important characteristics is provided, while attention is also paid to the relation and differences between both groups. Thesecond part of the study looks into the geographical differences in naming patterns through the presence of local gods. Three regions are compared: the first Upper Egyptian nome, the Panopolites and the Memphites. For the first and the last only the nome capitals are discussed, while for the Panopolites there is sufficient comparative material from the surrounding villages. A study of the local cults is undertaken after which these cults are compared with the gods mentioned in the anthroponyms.
The reason for the focus on personal names is twofold. Firstly, religion is very much present in Egyptian onomastics. Secondly, names are given intentionally to a person. They reflect values of common people and of the society that formed thosepeople. Due to their dependence on social values, names are sensible totrends. When changes occured in Egyptian religion, these were reflectedin the personal names. Religion was moreover geographically diverse; anthroponyms can therefore be connected to a specific region.
For my research I start from the Trismegistos database which gathers all published documentary texts -Egyptian and Greek- dated between 800 B.C. and A.D. 800. All the names mentioned in those texts are likewise collected.The amount of attestations dated over such a long period and included into a digital platform forms an excellent tool for statistical research:the popularity of types and deities can easily be calculated.
Myresearch consists of two parts. In the first one a typology of theophoric names is developed based on their meaning and grammar. Each type is discussed with attention for gender ratio, theological variation -which gods occur- and the geographical spread and chronological evolution. The Egyptian and Greek names are treated separately. For both languages an overview of the most important characteristics is provided, while attention is also paid to the relation and differences between both groups. Thesecond part of the study looks into the geographical differences in naming patterns through the presence of local gods. Three regions are compared: the first Upper Egyptian nome, the Panopolites and the Memphites. For the first and the last only the nome capitals are discussed, while for the Panopolites there is sufficient comparative material from the surrounding villages. A study of the local cults is undertaken after which these cults are compared with the gods mentioned in the anthroponyms.
Date:1 May 2009 → 28 Jun 2013
Keywords:Egypte
Disciplines:History
Project type:PhD project