Monday's NY Times begins by quoting a ruined Greek businessman who does not wish to use his full name, but identifies himself as "Anargyros D." This struck me as an odd looking name at the time, and indeed Liddell and Scott render "anargyros" as "without silver: without money."
I suppose that the secondary meaning "not bought with silver: incorruptible" might lead a parent to confer the name on a child. But in the context it seems odd, leading me to wonder whether somebody was pulling the correspondent's leg.
There's a few of them about, including this Bishop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anargyros_Printezis who I trust is living up to his name
ReplyDeleteI was about to say that in his case it could well go either way, for Orthodox bishops are all drawn from the monasteries. However, I see from your link that A.P. is a Uniate bishop; I have no idea what the rule is there.
ReplyDeleteA look at Wikipedia clarifies this. Saints Cosmas and Damian, physicians and martyrs, were known as the "Anargyroi" because they practiced medicine without accepting fees. They are commemorated in the Roman Catholic Mass, and I gather by the Anglo-Catholics.
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