Ariadaeus

Ariadaeus, also transliterated Ariadaios, is a Greek male given name used in antiquity. The name combines elements connected with Ariadne, a figure in Greek myth, and the suffix -aios, indicating belonging or relation. It is attested in various regions of the Hellenistic and Roman world, and appears in inscriptions, papyri, and literary fragments.

Historical attestations are often fragmentary. The name is known from several individuals referenced in inscriptions across the eastern Mediterranean, including civic documents, funeral stelae, and dedicatory inscriptions. In many cases the references provide only a name and a civic affiliation or minimal detail. The limited data means there is no single, well-documented Ariadaeus; rather, several distinct persons bearing the name are identified in different contexts. Some identifications may be speculative, with scholars proposing connections to other named figures based on prosopographic reasoning, but without decisive evidence.

In modern scholarship, Ariadaeus is a typical example of a Greek personal name used across Greek-speaking communities into the Roman period. It is of interest to onomastics and prosopography for understanding naming patterns and regional distribution. The name’s occurrences illustrate the spread of myth-inspired anthroponyms beyond the core Hellenic world.

See also: Ariadne; list of Greek names; prosopography.

References: Not included in this draft, but would be drawn from inscriptions databases and scholarly concordances.