What's Behind Your Name? Quiz | Names

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of the messengers, Iason, has a name that is the origin of a modern, very common name: Jason. Which English words are the closest translation to the Greek origin of the name Iason?

Answer: To heal

The name Iason derives from the Greek word "iasthai", which means "to heal." Jason was a hero from Greek mythology, whose father was Aeson. Jason is also known for being the leader of the Greek band of heroes known as The Argonauts, a name that originates from their ship's name, "Argo."

2. Nicolaus is another one of Hermes's loyal messengers, and if the name sounds familiar, that's because it is the ancient version of the name Nicholas. In Greek, this name signifies the victory of someone. Who might that someone be?

Answer: The people

�� (Nikolaos) means "the victory of the people." The name comes from two different Greek words: "nike" or "victory" and "laos" or "people." The name has been closely linked to Christianity, especially since the rise in popularity of the Bishop of Myra in the 4th century, who is better known as Saint Nicholas (the inspiration for Santa Claus.) Many famous people in history have taken this name, such as two Russian czars and several popes.

3. Acacius, who is another of Hermes's messengers, is actually a Latinized version of the Greek name Akakios. The name originates from a Greek word that means "innocent, or not _____" Which word fills in the blank?

Answer: Evil

The full meaning of the name Akakios is "innocent, not evil." The Greek word "kake" (evil) is preceded by "a" (a negative prefix,) indicating that the name means "NOT evil." The name Acacius was very popular in ancient times, with several Saints (such as Acacius of Amida and Acacius of Melitene,) bishops (such as Acacius of Caesarea) and various Byzantine officials.

4. Seleukos or Seleucus is another of the messengers. Though the meaning of the name is unknown, it is often recognized because of Seleucus I Nicator, who established the Seleucid Empire. For which famous Macedonian king was Seleucus a general?

Answer: Alexander the Great

The name Seleukos, which turns to Seleucus when Latinized, is a masculine Greek name that has been around for centuries. Several kings of the BCE period had that name. One who is particularly heard of is Seleucus I Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid Empire, in which he reigned from 305 to 281 BCE. Before doing so, he was a general for Alexander the Great, a Macedonian king known for creating a large empire that expanded to Persia, Egypt and Asia.

5. Timoteus is another of the messengers, whose name is quite fitting with the job he performs for his boss, Hermes. What would his name translate to?

Answer: Honoring God

Derived from the Greek words "timao" (to honor) and "theos" (gods,) Timoteus/Timotheus combines to form a meaning which surely made a lot of sense for ancient Greeks who worshipped gods like Zeus, Apollo and of course, Hermes. The English version of the name, Timothy, has been used throughout the years by many important historical figures.

It has been used from as early as the first century, by the Christian leader Saint Timothy.

6. Another of the messengers assigned a task by Hermes was Zopyros. Which shiny word describes the meaning of this name?

Answer: Glowing

Zopyros, which can also be spelled as Zopyrus (the latter being the more common usage) translates to "glowing" from Greek. One of the notable Zopyruses in history is a Persian nobleman during the rule of King Darius, which we know because of Greek historian Herodotus' "Histories."

7. Agape is one of the few feminine messengers employed by Hermes, but she is often underused because Hermes fears that she will entice men with her power derived from her name's meaning. Which emotion, which you might also relate to Cupid, does Agape's name mean?

Answer: Love

The Greek word "agape" is a term used to refer to love, more specifically to fraternal/brotherly and religious love. Though the word is frequently used as a term, particularly in the world of Christianity, it can also be used as a name, such as the case of Christian martyr Saint Agape.

8. Hermes recently decided to hire a new messenger, Melissa. She is a very nice woman, who has an almost irrational love for honey. Based on the Greek meaning of her name, would you know why she loves honey so much?

Answer: Melissa means "bee" in Greek

Melissa or �� is a fairly common name in the Greek language. The name translates to "bee," the flying insect that pollinates flowers and produces honey, but can also sting (after which it immediately dies.) Furthermore, the Greek root of the name is actually derived from �� (meli,) which means "honey." In the Greek world, Melissa was the name of one of the nymph nurses of the god Zeus, who was fed honey by her.

9. Hermes also trusts his messenger Lykos with important tasks, though many around him distrust him, given the meaning behind his name. Which animal, which Little Red Riding Hood would agree isn't trustworthy, represents the name Lykos?

Answer: Wolf

Lykos, also spelled as Lycus in its Latinized form, means "wolf" and is a very common name in Greek mythology. Some notable characters with this name include the son of the Greek god of war Ares, two sons of Poseidon, and a ruler of Ancient Thebes. Little Red Riding Hood is known for engaging in dialogue with the Big Bad Wolf, first in the forest and then in her grandmother's house (with the wolf disguised as her grandma.)

10. After learning the meanings behind his messengers' names, Hermes realized he didn't know what his own name meant! Though historians have debated what the real meaning of his name is, what is a generally accepted translation of it, from the root "herma"? (this answer might be a rocky one.)

Answer: Pile of stones

Hermes is the Greek messenger of the gods, and son of Zeus. Hermes is not exclusively dedicated to messages though, since he is also the god of travelers, sports, athletes and border crossings! The etymology of his name is controversial: most scholars believe it means "pile or heap of stones" and "boundary marker."

Source: Author Lpez

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

What's Behind Your Name? Trivia Quiz

Hermes, Greek god of the messengers, wants to know more about their names. Could you help him find out? Good luck!

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>