Emesa
/ˈɛmɪsə/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
Ἔμεσα — Emesa
Overview
Meaning Now
- The ancient name of the modern city of Homs in Syria, which served as the capital of a client kingdom of the Roman Empire.
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
Ἔμεσα
Earliest period
1st century AD
Journey
Emesa was the site of the famous Temple of Elagabal, dedicated to the sun god El-Gabal. The city's local dynasty, the Emesene priestly kings, eventually produced Roman emperors, most notably Elagabalus, who briefly attempted to impose the cult of his sun god as the primary religion of Rome.
Evolution
- 1st century BC
Ḥmṣ
“Original Semitic name”
Represented in local Aramaic and Phoenician inscriptions
- 1st century AD
Ἔμεσα
“Emesa”
Hellenized form appearing in Greek records
- Ancient Roman
Emesa
“Emesa”
Latinization of the Greek form
- Modern Era
Homs
“Homs”
Derived from Arabic Ḥimṣ, the contemporary successor to the ancient name
Connections
Related across languages
Arabic
Ḥimṣ
Homs
Syriac
Ḥemṣā
Emesa
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.