Aelius Herodian, Declension of Nouns 751.25-37
created: This entry is taken from Declension of Nouns 751.25-37 written by Aelius Herodia
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
language: grc; grc
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/46

Καισάρεια

, and

Kaisareia

are directly attested at Aelius Herodian, Declension of Nouns 751.25-37. This passage was written ca. 150-200 C.E. possibly in Alexandria. Aelius Herodian studied and taught language and literature (“grammar”) in Alexandria in Egypt, the intellectual and cultural center of the Roman East, before moving to Rome as a celebrated scholar later in his career. In his grammatical treatise on spelling, Herodian cited the toponym Caesarea (Καισάρεια) as an example of a particular word-formation. George Choeroboscus, the Early Byzantine grammarian, paraphrased this passage over six centuries later (Prologue and Notes 303.12-20).

τὰ εἰς -α λήγοντα θηλυκά, ἐὰν μὲν ἔχῃ τὸ -α καθαρόν, τουτέστι μὴ προηγουμένου συμφώνου, ἢ πρὸ τοῦ -α τὸ ρ, ἢ μακρόν, φυλάττει καὶ ἐν τῇ γενικῇ, φημὶ δὴ τὸ -α, καὶ προσθέσει τοῦ ς ποιεῖ τὴν γενικήν. ἔστω δὲ παραδείγματα τοῦ κανόνος ταῦτα· τὸ ᾱ μὲν καθαρὸν οἷον μαῖα μαίας, γραῖα γραίας, γαῖα γαίας, Μήδεια Μηδείας (τὸ γὰρ “Μηδείης ὑπ᾿ ἔρωτι” Ἰωνικόν ἐστι), Κράτεια Κρατείας, Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἀλεξανδρείας, Καισάρεια Καισαρείας, Ἀντιόχεια Ἀντιοχείας.

[Ed. Lentz 1868]

As for feminine nouns ending -a, if they have pure -a (i.e., no preceding consonant), r before -a, or long -a, it persists also in the genitive, I mean the -a, and by addition of -s makes the genitive. Take these examples of the rule: pure -a, e.g., maia-maias, graia-graias, gaia-gaias, Medeia-Medeias (since “Medeies hyp’ eroti” is Ionic dialect), Krateia-Krateias, Alexandreia-Alexandreias, Kaisareia -Kaisareias, Antiocheia-Antiocheias. [Trans. J. L. Rife] [Aelius Herodian quotes “Medeies hyp’ eroti” from Apollonius of Rhodes, Voyage of the Argo 3.31.]

Works Cited

[...] 751.25-33

[3.31

303.12-20

451.22-27

Aelius Herodian,

Aelius Herodian, Correct Spelling 451.22-27

Apollonius of Rhodes,

Apollonius of Rhodes, Voyage of the Argo 3.31

George Choeroboscus,

George Choeroboscus, Prologue and Notes on Theodosius of Alexandria’s Introductory Rules 303.12-20]

[Alexandria (Alexandreia)

Antioch on the Orontes (Antiocheia)]

[Geography

Greek Language]