Hêkaton

Hêkaton is a transliteration of the Ancient Greek ἑκατόν, meaning “hundred.” In scholarly practice, diacritics such as ê may be used to mark a long vowels in certain transliteration systems, giving forms like hêkaton. The term functions primarily as a numeral root and as a basis for forms in Greek-derived vocabulary and names.

In classical Greek, ἑκατόν appears in words and in the naming of groups or concepts associated with the number one hundred. The most well-known derivation is hekatomb (hekatón bón), the sacrifice traditionally described as offered for a hundred oxen; the element ἑκατόν also contributes to various compound terms in ancient literature and later translations.

In mythology, the stem is visible in the name of the Hekatonkheires (Hundred-Handed Ones), a trio of giants born to Gaia and Uranus. Their name literally describes their characteristic—having a hundred hands—and they figure prominently in Greek myth as embodiments of immense power. The form has continued to appear in later literature and art as a classical root or symbolic reference to vast quantity.

Today, hêkaton is mainly of interest in linguistics, classics, and onomastics as the etymological source of the prefix hecaton- and as a transliteration variant in discussions of Greek language and myth. It does not constitute a standalone term in contemporary science or everyday usage, but it appears in scholarly discussions, glossaries, and in the historical naming of mythological beings or Greek-derived compounds.

Related terms include hekatomb and other derivatives built from the same root, reflecting the enduring legacy of the ancient numeral.