Map of ancient Boeotia, indicating the city Tanagra, which could be the place of Graia
History
Graea is listed under Boeotia in Homer's Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad.[3] It seems to have included the city of Oropus, though by the fifth century BCE it was probably a kome (district) of that city.[4] According to Pausanias the name was a shortcut of the original name Tanagraia, who was daughter of the river-god Asopos. Graea was a greater area including Aulis, Mycalessus, Harma etc.[5] It is also described by some sources as a city; Fossey argues for its identification with the hill of Dhrámesi 8 km from Tanagra,[6] while others suggest it is identical with Oropus itself.[7]
Graea was sometimes said to be the oldest city of Greece. Aristotle said that this city was created before the deluge. The same assertion about the origins of Graea is found in an ancient marble, the Parian Chronicle, discovered in 1687 and dated to 267–263 BCE, that is currently kept in Oxford and on Paros.
The word Γραικός (Graecus, Greek) is interpreted as "inhabitant of Graia" by some authors.[12] The German historian Georg Busolt suggested that the name Graeci was given initially by the Romans to the colonists from Graia who helped the Euboeans to establish Cumae in southern Italy, and was then used for all Greeks.[13] The classicist Robin Lane Fox states that Oropus was either located in or identical with the city Graia, and writes:
If men from Oropos-Graia were among the early Greek visitors to Capua or Veii and even early Rome, we can better understand an age-old puzzle: why Greeks were called "Greeks" in the Latin West. Such people told their first contacts in the Latin region that they were "Graikoi," that is, people from Graia. They were thus called "Graeci" by the people whom they met.[14]
The ethnonym comes from the adjective γραῖα graia "old woman", derived from the PIE root *ǵerh2-/*ǵreh2-, "to grow old" via Proto-Greek*gera-/grau-iu;[15] the same root later gave γέρας geras (/ɡé.ras/), "gift of honour" in Mycenean Greek.[16]
Graikos (Γραικός) may be interpreted "inhabitant of Graia". Aristotle uses Graikos as equivalent to Hellenes, and believes that it was the name originally used for the Dorians of Dodona in Epirus.[17][18]
^John M. Fossey, "The Identification of Graia," Euphrosyne 4 (1970), pp. 3–22.
^Simon Hornblower and Elaine Matthews, Greek Personal Names: Their Value as Evidence. Oxford University Press, 2000, ISBN0-19-726216-3, p. 95; similarly Maria Stamatopoulou and Marina Yeroulanou, Excavating Classical Culture: Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Greece. Archaeopress, 2002, ISBN1-84171-411-9, p. 151.
^Robin Lane Fox, Travelling Heroes: In the Epic Age of Homer. Random House, 2009: ISBN0-679-44431-9, p. 61/161; see also John Nicolas Coldstream, Geometric Greece: 900-700 BC. Routledge, 2003, ISBN0-415-29899-7, p. 403 (note 7).
^R. S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, p. 285.
^R. S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, p. 267.
graea, confused, with, graia, ancient, greek, Γραῖα, romanized, graîa, city, coast, boeotia, ancient, greece, site, located, near, modern, dramesi, paralia, avlidas, ancient, boeotia, indicating, city, tanagra, which, could, place, graiahistory, edit, listed, . Not to be confused with Graeae Graea or Graia Ancient Greek Graῖa romanized Graia was a city on the coast of Boeotia in ancient Greece Its site is located near modern Dramesi in Paralia Avlidas 1 2 Map of ancient Boeotia indicating the city Tanagra which could be the place of GraiaHistory EditGraea is listed under Boeotia in Homer s Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad 3 It seems to have included the city of Oropus though by the fifth century BCE it was probably a kome district of that city 4 According to Pausanias the name was a shortcut of the original name Tanagraia who was daughter of the river god Asopos Graea was a greater area including Aulis Mycalessus Harma etc 5 It is also described by some sources as a city Fossey argues for its identification with the hill of Dhramesi 8 km from Tanagra 6 while others suggest it is identical with Oropus itself 7 Graea was sometimes said to be the oldest city of Greece Aristotle said that this city was created before the deluge The same assertion about the origins of Graea is found in an ancient marble the Parian Chronicle discovered in 1687 and dated to 267 263 BCE that is currently kept in Oxford and on Paros Reports about this ancient city can be also found in Homer in Pausanias in Thucydides etc The name Graike Ancient Greek Graikh ɡra ikɛ ː was used of the Oropus area which was dependent on Athens during the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides and the term was also used by Stephanus of Byzantium 8 9 At some point the whole of Oropus including Graea was incorporated into ancient Attica and became a deme of the phyle of Pandionis as evidenced from a surviving inscription 10 11 The word Graikos Graecus Greek is interpreted as inhabitant of Graia by some authors 12 The German historian Georg Busolt suggested that the name Graeci was given initially by the Romans to the colonists from Graia who helped the Euboeans to establish Cumae in southern Italy and was then used for all Greeks 13 The classicist Robin Lane Fox states that Oropus was either located in or identical with the city Graia and writes If men from Oropos Graia were among the early Greek visitors to Capua or Veii and even early Rome we can better understand an age old puzzle why Greeks were called Greeks in the Latin West Such people told their first contacts in the Latin region that they were Graikoi that is people from Graia They were thus called Graeci by the people whom they met 14 The ethnonym comes from the adjective graῖa graia old woman derived from the PIE root ǵerh2 ǵreh2 to grow old via Proto Greek gera grau iu 15 the same root later gave geras geras ɡe ras gift of honour in Mycenean Greek 16 Graikos Graikos may be interpreted inhabitant of Graia Aristotle uses Graikos as equivalent to Hellenes and believes that it was the name originally used for the Dorians of Dodona in Epirus 17 18 See also EditNames of the Greeks Ogyges MinyansReferences Edit Richard Talbert ed 2000 Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World Princeton University Press p 55 and directory notes accompanying Lund University Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire Homer Iliad Vol 2 498 G S Kirk The Iliad A Commentary Volume 1 Books 1 4 Cambridge University Press 1985 ISBN 0 521 28171 7 p 191 Pausanias Boeotica 20 24 John M Fossey The Identification of Graia Euphrosyne 4 1970 pp 3 22 Simon Hornblower and Elaine Matthews Greek Personal Names Their Value as Evidence Oxford University Press 2000 ISBN 0 19 726216 3 p 95 similarly Maria Stamatopoulou and Marina Yeroulanou Excavating Classical Culture Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Greece Archaeopress 2002 ISBN 1 84171 411 9 p 151 Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War Vol 2 23 3 Stephanus of Byzantium Ethnica Vol s v Orwpws Ross amp Meier Die Demen von Attika p 6 et seq Smith William ed 1854 1857 Oropus Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography London John Murray Hatzidakis 1977 quoted in Babiniotis Dictionary Online Etymology Dictionary 1 Robin Lane Fox Travelling Heroes In the Epic Age of Homer Random House 2009 ISBN 0 679 44431 9 p 61 161 see also John Nicolas Coldstream Geometric Greece 900 700 BC Routledge 2003 ISBN 0 415 29899 7 p 403 note 7 R S P Beekes Etymological Dictionary of Greek Brill 2009 p 285 R S P Beekes Etymological Dictionary of Greek Brill 2009 p 267 Online Etymology Dictionary Aristotle Meteorologica I xiv 38 23 10 N 23 37 44 E 38 386 N 23 629 E 38 386 23 629 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Graea amp oldid 1167601455, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
