Mummies: Terms and Terminology in Ancient Greece

Understanding the terminology used for mummies in ancient Greece is crucial for grasping the context and practices surrounding their preservation and cultural significance. This article explores the various words used to describe mummies and embalmed corpses in ancient Greek language and literature.

The Greek Terms for Mummies

According to some sources, the Classical Greek term for 'mummy' was τριχοτ?ριχο? (trikhotorichos). However, there is no specific word in Classical Latin for ‘mummy,’ possibly because the ancient Romans did not have knowledge of the body-preserving technique. Medieval Latin adopted the term Mumia, which was borrowed from Arabic or Persian Mūmiya’.

The Notion of Embalming in Ancient Greece

While the term ταριχευμ?νο? νεκρ?? (taricheumenos nekrós) (embalmed corpse) is often cited, it is important to note that the term is not specific to mummies but can refer to any preserved dead body. The word ταρ?χο? (tarikhos) means 'preserved meat' in general, often relating to salted, dried, or smoked fish. Herodotus, the famous historian, uses this term metaphorically in a story:

It is related by the people of the Chersonese that a marvellous thing happened. One of those who guarded Artayctes was frying dried fish (tarichous). As they lay over the fire, the fish began to leap and writhe as though they had just been caught. The rest gathered around, amazed at the sight, but when Artayctes saw this strange thing, he called the one who was frying the fish and said to him: 'Athenian, do not be afraid of this portent for it is not to you that it has been sent. Protesilaus of Elaeus is trying to signify that although he is dead and dry (tarichos), he has the power given him by the god to take vengeance on me, the one who wronged him."

This example clearly shows that the term ταρ?χο? does not uniquely refer to a mummy but rather to any dried, preserved meat or fish.

Modern vs. Ancient Terminology

On the other hand, the term σκελετ?? (skeletos) (skeleton) was used to describe a dried corpse in Greek, especially in earlier texts. It was a more generic term referring to a dried-up corpse before it came to mean a skeleton. For example, Plato the comic poet referred to a person as σκελετ?? (skeleton, or dried-up corpse) in a context where he described someone as frail and sickly:

Cinesias, skeletal, flat-bottomed, with reed-thin legs, prophet of decay, cauterized with multiple burn-scars on his body by [the doctor] Euryphron.

Similarly, Phrynichus, another comic poet, used σκελετ?? to refer to someone emaciated as a metaphor, not a literal mummy:

He was noted for his sober lifestyle, choosing to drink water instead of wine, Phrynichus said of him, Muses, a nightmare to nightingales, a hymn to hell.

Conclusion

Despite the efforts of the Lexicon SatURN (LSJ), the dictionary of Ancient Greek, it is clear that there is no specific term in ancient Greek for 'mummy.' The terms σκελετ?? and ταρ?χο? are used more metaphorically, and the term ταφ? (taphē) was preferred in Egyptian papyri as a general term for burial, which extended to include the mummy and the tomb.

Therefore, while terms like ταρ?χο? and σκελετ?? were used, they were not as specific to mummies as one might initially assume. The language of the ancient Greeks provides a rich context for understanding the embalming practices and terminology of their time.