Ancient Greek Place Names

AITHIOPIA   Αιθιοπια   (Country)   Ancient Greek
Greek form of ETHIOPIA.

ALEXANDREIA   Αλεξανδρεια   (Settlement)   Ancient Greek
Greek form of ALEXANDRIA.

ALEXANDRIA   Αλεξανδρεια   (Settlement)   English, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek given name Αλεξανδρος (see ALEXANDER), bestowed by Alexander the Great upon the cities he founded or conquered. This is the name of many cities throughout the world, notably in Egypt.

ANATOLIA   Ανατολη   (Region)   Ancient Greek
From Greek ανατολη (anatole) meaning "sunrise", a term used by the Greeks to refer to the peninsula to the east (modern Turkey).

ASIA   Ασια   (Region)   English, Italian, Ancient Greek
Perhaps derived from Akkadian asu, meaning "east".

BABYLON   Βαβυλων   (Settlement)   English, German, Dutch, Biblical, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Greek form of Akkadian Babili, which is of uncertain meaning. It is often explained as meaning "gateway of God", from Akkadian babu "gate" and ilu "God", though it may in fact derive from a non-Semitic language. This was the name of a major city in ancient Mesopotamia, the capital of the Babylonian Empire. It was located in present-day Iraq.

DELPHOI   Δελφοι   (Settlement)   Ancient Greek
Greek form of DELPHI.

EUPHRATES   Ευφρατης   (River)   English, Greek, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
From Greek Ευφρατης (Euphrates), the name of a river in Mesopotamia. It is derived from Old Persian Ufratu, itself from Elamite or Sumerian, of unknown meaning.

EURIPOS   Ευριπος   (Body of Water)   Ancient Greek
Possibly from Greek ευ (eu) "good" and ‘ριπη (rhipe) "throw, swing". This was the name of the strait between Euboea and Boeotia.

HELLADA   ‘Ελλαδα   (Country)   Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of ELLADA.

INDIA   Ινδια   (Country)   English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
Derived from the name of the INDUS River. In many languages of India, the name Bharat is used to refer to the country.

INDOS   Ινδος   (River)   Ancient Greek
Greek form of INDUS.

LYDIA   Λυδια   (Region)   Ancient Greek, English
An ancient region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king LYDOS.

NAZARET   Ναζαρετ   (Settlement)   Spanish, Italian, German, Greek, Armenian, Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Spainish, Italian, German, Armenian and Greek form of NAZARETH.

NEAPOLIS   Νεαπολις   (Settlement)   Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
Greek and Latin form of NAPLES.

NEILOS   Νειλος   (River)   Ancient Greek
Greek form of NILE.

OLYMPOS   Ολυμπος   (Mountain)   Ancient Greek, Greek
Meaning unknown. This is the name of the highest mountain in Greece. According to legend is the home of the Greek gods.

PERSIS   Περσις   (Country)   Ancient Greek
Greek form of PERSIA.

PHILADELPHIEA   Φιλαδελφεια   (Settlement)   Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Greek form of PHILADELPHIA.