Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Matthew V. Novenson on Christ and Chrestus

  

The establishment of Greek χριστος as the accepted equivalency for משׁיח provided occasion for one interesting development in early Christian idiom: the occasional use, via itacism, of Greek χρητος, “good, excellent,” for χριστος, “anointed” (and, consequent upon a standard transliteration, Latin chrestus for Christus, as well). This has often been commented on, especially in connection with Suetonius’s famous account of the expulsion on, especially in connection with Suetoninus’s famous account of the expulsion of the Jews from Rome under Claudius (Claud. 25; Judaeos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantes Roma expulit), as a result of simple misunderstanding, the confused substitution of a familiar name for an unfamiliar one. And in some instances, this is doubtless the case. Thus Tertullian, in his Ad nations, mocks certain pagans or their ignorance in pronouncing Christiani as Chrestiani:

 

The name Chrisitan, however, so far as its meaning goes, bears the sense of anointing [Christanum vero nomen, quantum signification est, de unction interpretatur]. Even when by a faulty pronunciation you call us Chrestians [etiam cum corrupte a vobis Chrestiani pronuntiamur] (for you are not certain about even the sound of this noted name), you in fact lisp out the sense of pleasantness and goodness [suavitate vel bonitate]. You are therefore vilifying in harmless men even the harmless name we bear. (Tertullian, Ad nat. 1.3.8-10).

 

Tertullian notes that, in fact, the name Christiani comes from a word for anointing (de unctione), but that pagans often say it Chrestiani, suggesting pleasantness or goodness (Greek χρηστοτης; Latin suavitas, bonitas). Tertullian is happy to take the unintended compliment, and he claims that Christians are indeed pleasant, good, and harmless. (Matthew V. Novenson, The Gramar of Messianism: An Ancient Jewish Political Idiom and Its Users [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017], 225)

 

Further Reading:

 

Wordplay in First Apology 4