Πάνθειον

Forms

Πάνθειον (Pántheion) n (genitive Πανθείου); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is the neuter of the adjective from Ancient Greek πάνθειος (pántheios, “of or common to all gods”), used as a noun with the word for “temple” understood.^[1][2][3] The adjective is formed from Ancient Greek παν- (pan-, “all”) + θεῖος (theîos, “of the gods”).^[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in On Marvellous Things Heard, a work in the Aristotelian corpus of the 4th century BC, for a temple or precinct consecrated to all the gods.^[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

A Pantheion was any temple dedicated to all the gods; an Aristotelian fragment and Philo also use it figuratively, of the planets as a company of gods.^[2] The best known was the Pantheon in the Campus Martius at Rome, built by Agrippa about 27–25 BC and rebuilt by Hadrian after AD 126, which Dio Cassius calls by this name.^[2][7][6] The Suda describes it as a temple common to all the gods on the plain of the Romans.^[8][9] In 609 it was consecrated as a Christian church.^[7]

Latin borrowed the word as Panthēon.^[1][4] English pantheon is recorded from the early 15th century for the Roman temple, and since the 1590s for any group of exalted persons.^[4] Modern Greek πάνθεο (pántheo) is a learned word from Latin and French panthéon, used also for all the gods of a religion and for a building where famous people are buried.^[10]

Timeline

• 4th century BC – On Marvellous Things Heard in the Aristotelian corpus mentions a temple of all the gods.^[2][5][6]
• About 27–25 BC – Agrippa builds the Pantheon in the Campus Martius at Rome.^[7]
• 1st century BC to 1st century AD – Philo uses it figuratively of the planets.^[2][6]
• 2nd–3rd century AD – Dio Cassius uses it for the Pantheon at Rome.^[2][5][6]
• AD 609 – The Roman Pantheon is consecrated as a church.^[7]
• 10th century AD – The Suda describes the Roman temple of all the gods.^[8][9]
• Early 15th century – English pantheon is first recorded, for the temple at Rome.^[4]

Meanings

Proper noun

1. A temple or precinct consecrated to all the gods.^[2][3]
2. The Pantheon at Rome.^[2][3][7]
3. (figurative) A company of divine beings, as of the planets.^[2]

Related words

• πάνθειος (pántheios)
• θεῖος (theîos)
• Latin Panthēon
• English pantheon

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
7. ^ a b c d e Pleiades: a gazetteer of past places, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, https://pleiades.stoa.org
8. ^ a b Adler, Ada, ed. (1928–1938), Suidae Lexicon, 5 vols, Leipzig: Teubner
9. ^ a b Suda On Line: Byzantine Lexicography, ed. David Whitehead et al., Stoa Consortium, https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/
10. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki