The Elder (ὁ πρότερος) and the Younger (ὁ δεύτερος): the Marmor Parium and Its Naming Convention for Homonymous Archons

Abstract This paper discusses a hitherto neglected detail of the Marmor Parium (3rd century BC ), which offers the epithets ‘the Elder’ ( ὁ πρότερος ) and ‘the Younger’ ( ὁ δεύτερος ) for certain Athenian archons. Even though the meaning of these terms is entirely clear from a philological point of view, differentiating homonymous archons remains a singular feature of the Marmor Parium . This highly unusual convention is examined against the background of eponymous dating in general, the Athenian archon list, ancient Greek name-giving practices and name doublets. A variety of ancient sources are scrutinised to this aim, relying upon ancient Greek historiography in general, particularly the genre of chronography, but also the inscriptional record and amphora stamps. The origin of differentiating homonymous archons is tentatively ascribed to an unknown Athenian source of the late 5th/early 4th century BC , where demotics were regularly applied to provide further information on the archons’ names.