Abstract

The study focuses on six etymologies explicitly attributed to Soranus of Ephesus by one source at least (χολάδες, λύπη, μασχάλη, κράτα, κρανίον, σιαγών). A comparison between the texts of Orion, Meletius and the Byzantine Etymologica shows that all the sources ascribe to Soranus etymologies that were not his, as a result of a loss of information or of a misunderstanding of the source text, namely Orion. It also shows that Meletius’ text agrees with the Et. Gudianum and the version of Orion’s Excerpta transmitted by the Paris. gr. 2630 rather than with the main manuscript of Orion, the Paris. gr. 2653.