Names evolve in mysterious ways

I came across an odd Greek name: Theophano.

This was a common name for women late in the first millennium CE in the Byzantine Empire. It means something like brought or revealed by the gods, or god for the obsessively Christian Byzantines. Later it evolved into Theophania. It's related to the word "epiphany." The male form was more common, Theophanes.

It's not the kind of name you'd think would spread. Except lots of Byzantines sought refuge in Europe when the Ottomans conquered the remains of their empire, and in particular the capital at Constantinople.

Today this name in the West survives as, wait for it: Tiffany.

Thee-aaf-n-o. Theophano. Not a bad name,
actually.

Overall I like Ancient Greek names. One of my favorites is Theia.

I was completely unaware of it, until a few years back when astronomers used the name for the protoplanet that may have collided with Earth to create the Moon.

Mythology explains why. The goddess Theia is more often referred to as Theia Euryphaessa, and once as "Theia of many names." The meanings don't matter, and don't amount to much. She was a daughter of Gaia and Ouranus, and, more importantly, mother of Helios, Selene and Eos.

Of course, differing mythologies tell different genealogies. But that would be like arguing seriously about comic book characters. It's sufficient that there's at elast one version of the myths where she's the mother of Selene to see why astronomers would pick her name.

Her name would also be appropriate for a fusion reactor.

Quote: William Shakespeare

And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Atë by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Atë, Até or Aite is the Greek goddess of mischief, delusion, ruin, and folly. Homer's Iliad (Book 19) depicts Atë as the eldest daughter of Zeus (with no mother mentioned).

On Hera's instigation, Atë used her influence over Zeus so that he swore an oath that on that day a mortal descended from him would be born who would become a great ruler. Hera immediately arranged to delay the birth of Heracles and to bring forth Eurystheus prematurely. In anger Zeus threw Atë down to earth forever, forbidding her return to heaven or to Mt. Olympus. Atë then wandered about, treading on the heads of men rather than on the earth, wreaking havoc on mortals.



Good name to give your daughter if you want her to grow up a badass.

Quote: Pacomartin

Atë, Até or Aite is the Greek goddess of mischief, delusion, ruin, and folly. Homer's Iliad (Book 19) depicts Atë as the eldest daughter of Zeus (with no mother mentioned).

Athena supposedly sprang forth, fully grown and even armed, from Zeus' own head.

For all the praise Zeus is given in mythology for overthrowing the Titans, he's a jerk much of the time (and a fool a part of the rest, but that seems to run in the family).


BTW, Shakespeare is much better in the original Klingon :)