Didaskalos

Didaskalos (διδάσκαλος) is a Greek noun meaning "teacher" or "instructor." In antiquity the term referred to a master who educated pupils, often a private tutor or schoolmaster hired to instruct youths in grammar, rhetoric, or philosophy. It could also denote a master in a craft or a scholar who instructs disciples. The related adjective didaktikos gives rise to the English word "didactic."

In classical literature the didaskalos appears as a teacher figure in the dialogues of Plato and in works by Xenophon and others. In Athens, the didaskalos commonly functioned as a professional teacher for the sons of wealthy families, a role overlapping with the later development of formal schooling. The term is often distinguished from paidagogos, which emphasizes guardianship and general supervision rather than instruction.

In early Christian Greek usage, didaskalos means "teacher" in the sense of one who instructs others in the faith; the term is used of Jesus as a moral and doctrinal teacher in the Gospels, and of church teachers or instructors in patristic writings.

In Modern Greek, διδάσκαλος is the everyday word for "teacher" or "instructor" in schools, while καθηγητής is typically used for university professors. The ancient sense survives in scholarly discussions of classical education and the history of pedagogy.