Freethought & Rationalism Archive

gstafleu · 02-08-2007, 05:47 AM

Is it known what the original pronunciation of Cyrus was? If this was a case of latinized Greek I would guess Kuros, but given that it comes from Persian that's probably wrong. Having said that, the LXX has Κυ̃ρος. Does the spelling in the Hebrew version of the OT offer any clues?

Gerard Stafleu

premjan · 02-08-2007, 06:07 AM

Kourosh is what I have heard. According to Wikipedia,

Quote:

Kuruš

Toto · 02-08-2007, 11:21 AM

From Wikipedia:

Quote:

Etymology
The name Cyrus is a Latin transliteration of the Greek Κῦρος. The ancient historians Ctesias and Plutarch noted that Cyrus was named from Kuros, the sun, a concept which has been interpreted as meaning "like the sun," by noting its relation to the Persian noun for sun, khorsheed, while using -vash as a suffix of likeness.[3] However, some modern historians, such as Karl Hoffmann and Rüdiger Schmitt of the Encyclopædia Iranica, have suggested the translation "humiliator of the enemy in verbal contest."[4]

In modern Persian, Cyrus is referred to as Kourosh-e Kabir, and, more recently, as Kourosh-e Bozorg — the Persian-derived name for Cyrus the Great. In the Bible, he is known as simply Koresh.

The HTML Bible has:

3566 Kowresh ko'-resh or (Ezra 1:1 (last time), 2) Koresh {ko'-resh}; from the Persians; Koresh (or Cyrus), the Persian king:--Cyrus.

3567 Kowresh ko'-resh (Aramaic) corresponding to 'Kowresh' (3566):--Cyrus.

spin · 02-08-2007, 06:33 PM

The Cyrus cylinder represents the name in three cuneiform phonograms, ku-ra-a$, which suggests a pronunciation, kura$ ($ = "sh"). The Hebrew's not too far from this, though with /a/ -> /e/ and occasionally /u/ -> /ou/. However, Persian inscriptions give Kuru$, which supplies the Greek Kuros -- no /$/ in Greek.

spin

Ratel · 02-08-2007, 08:55 PM

While we're on the subject of Persian kings, are there any plausible identifications for "Darius the Mede" or "Ahasuarus"? (the king in Esther, unsure of exact spelling)

premjan · 02-08-2007, 10:51 PM

There are a number of Persian emperors named Darius (including Darius the Great). Here is a discussion of who Darius the Mede might actually be. I think Ahasuaras is one of the emperor conventionally known as Xerxes. I think Cyrus the Great was a Mede though Darius the Great wasn't. Apparently Xerxes I is probably the one who married Esther.

Quote:

Christian historians counter by claiming that the kingdom of 'Darius' is mentioned as only containing the 'Chaldeans' - the area around the city of Babylon. This would then make Darius a vassal king under the reign of Cyrus; something not uncommon for the Persians. Furthermore, Astyages the Mede had been Cyrus' grandfather, and even though the Persians had absorbed the Mede empire, many Medes were still in positions of power, such as satraps, governors, and generals, in the Persian empire.

02-08-2007, 05:47 AM	#1
gstafleu Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,719	Help wanted: pronunciation of Cyrus? Is it known what the original pronunciation of Cyrus was? If this was a case of latinized Greek I would guess Kuros, but given that it comes from Persian that's probably wrong. Having said that, the LXX has Κυ̃ρος. Does the spelling in the Hebrew version of the OT offer any clues? Gerard Stafleu

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02-08-2007, 06:33 PM	#4
spin Contributor Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: nowhere Posts: 15,747	The Cyrus cylinder represents the name in three cuneiform phonograms, ku-ra-a$, which suggests a pronunciation, kura$ ($ = "sh"). The Hebrew's not too far from this, though with /a/ -> /e/ and occasionally /u/ -> /ou/. However, Persian inscriptions give Kuru$, which supplies the Greek Kuros -- no /$/ in Greek. spin

02-08-2007, 08:55 PM	#5
Ratel Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: SD, USA Posts: 268	While we're on the subject of Persian kings, are there any plausible identifications for "Darius the Mede" or "Ahasuarus"? (the king in Esther, unsure of exact spelling)

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