Saturday, June 6, 2009

Why Peter of Alexandria was called 'Pierius'

I think I have found a reason why Peter of Alexandria was called Pierius. The name Pierius derives from piera which means 'fat.' See my upcoming article in the Journal of Coptic Studies for the circumstances of when Peter was identified as a fat cow but here is the Liddell entry for pion:

piôn [i_], ho, hê, neut. pion, gen. pionos (irreg. fem. pieira, q.v.),
A. fat, in Hom. of beasts, pionos aigos Il.9.207 ; hun . . mala piona Od.14.419 ; p. mêla Il.12.319 , etc.; mêla piona dêmôi Od.9.464 ; boun piona dêmôi Il.23.750 , cf. 2.403; piona mêria kaie boos 11.773 ; nôta boos p. Od.4.65; p. dêmos rich fat, Il.22.501; enkata pioni (fort. piona) dêmôi Hes. Th.538 ; of oil, Hdt.2.94; luchnou p. ear Call.Fr.201 ; opôras potos S.Tr.703 ; plakous Ar.Eq.1190 ; nephroi Arist.PA672a35 ; piona mazon aigos Call.Jov.48 ; p. kai malakôi . . dianêmati Pl.Plt.309b .
2. of men, Ar.Ra.1092 (anap.), Pl.560 (anap.), Pl.R.422b.
II. metaph., of soil, rich, agros, dêmos, etc., Il.23.832, 16.437, etc.; piona erga rich crops, 12.283; temenos Pi.P.4.56 .
2. of persons and places, wealthy, abounding, oikos, nêos, Od.9.35, Il.2.549; aduton 5.512 ; pionas ploutou pnoas A.Ag.820 ; pioni metrôi in plenteous measure, [p. 1410] Theoc.7.33, etc.; abundant, klauthmos p. LXX Ge.46.29 ; en kataphorai pioni in a state of deep lethargy, Herod.Med. in Rh.Mus.58.79 (sed pleioni ib.72) ; to pion, v. liparos 1.2.
3. fattening, fertilizing, Zephuros B.Fr.34 (Sup.).


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