The Maternal Line in Greek Identification: Signalling social status in Roman Egypt (30 BC – AD 400)
The Maternal Line in Greek Identification: Signalling social status in Roman Egypt (30 BC – AD 400)
Abstract
Since Greeks were generally unaccustomed to adding their maternal line to their identification, it is surprising to find metronymics in Greek papyri from Egypt. The rather exceptional Ptolemaic examples can be explained by Egyptian influence, but in the early Roman period there is a sudden rise in the use of mothers’ names. This article discusses the evolution of this practice and its relation to the socio-legal changes during the first four centuries AD.