Abstract
This article surveys epigraphic evidence for Damaris, Damares and Damari(o)n to
show that these are distinctively Spartan or Laconian names. It rejects the hypothesis that Damaris is a Lukan construction from Homeric δάμαρ (wife) or a typical name for a courtesan. Positively, it suggests that the woman named Damaris in Acts 17:34 could be imagined as a member of the Voluseni family, a prominent Spartan family connected with the Athenian elite. Finally, it examines the rhetorical force that a recognizably Spartan name could have in the narrative of Acts.
show that these are distinctively Spartan or Laconian names. It rejects the hypothesis that Damaris is a Lukan construction from Homeric δάμαρ (wife) or a typical name for a courtesan. Positively, it suggests that the woman named Damaris in Acts 17:34 could be imagined as a member of the Voluseni family, a prominent Spartan family connected with the Athenian elite. Finally, it examines the rhetorical force that a recognizably Spartan name could have in the narrative of Acts.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 346-359 |
| Journal | Novum Testamentum |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 22 Jun 2021 |
Keywords
- Damaris
- Acts
- epigraphy
- Sparta
- Athens