Ἀστυάγης

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Ἀστυΐγας (Astuḯgas)

Etymology

From Old Median *R̥štivaigah (literally “swinging the spear, lance-hurler”)[1][2], modified by folk etymology (compare ἄστυ (ástu, “city”) and ἄγνυμι (ágnumi, “break”) and compound names ending in -αγης (-agēs)).

See also Old Armenian Աժդահակ (Aždahak, “Azhdahak; Astyages”), where the sense "Astyages" was developed by folk etymology.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /as.ty.á.ɡɛːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /as.tyˈa.ɡe̝s/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /as.tyˈa.ʝis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /as.tyˈa.ʝis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /as.tiˈa.ʝis/

Proper noun

Ἀστῠάγης • (Astuágēs) m (genitive Ἀστῠάγους); third declension

a male given name from Old Median: Astyages

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ Ἀστυάγης; τοῦ Ἀστυάγους (contracted, Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Ἀστυάγης ho Astuágēs
Genitive	τοῦ Ἀστυάγους toû Astuágous
Dative	τῷ Ἀστυάγει tôi Astuágei
Accusative	τὸν Ἀστυάγη tòn Astuágē
Vocative	Ἀστύαγες Astúages
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

Greek: Αστυάγης (Astyágis)
→ Latin: Astyagēs
- → English: Astyages

References

Hinz, Walther (1975), “*rštivaiga-”, in Altiranisches Sprachgut der Nebenüberlieferungen (Göttinger Orientforschungen, Reihe III, Iranica; 3) (in German), Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, page 208
Tavernier, Jan (2007), “4.2.1443. *Ṛštivaiga-”, in Iranica in the Achaemenid Period (ca. 550–330 B.C.): Lexicon of Old Iranian Proper Names and Loanwords, Attested in Non-Iranian Texts, Peeters Publishers, →ISBN, page 291