The Greek term κτοίνα between the second and the first millennium BC

Maurizio Del Freo Studi Micenei ed Egeo-Anatolici, Nuova Serie 10 (2024): 77-94

This article examines the Greek term κτοίνα, a lexical survival from the Mycenaean period that reappears sporadically in inscriptions from the Rhodian area dating to the Hellenistic and Roman periods, as well as in Hesychius’ Lexicon. The available contexts suggest that the word underwent a semantic shift over time, from its original meaning of ‘plot of land’, as attested in Mycenaean sources, to the notion of ‘territorial unit’. This study argues that, despite this evolution, κτοίνα consistently retains a religious connotation across its occurrences. This association with the religious sphere may account for its survival through the centuries.