Definition: Eponymous means being the person (or thing) who gives one's name to something, a period of time, a people, or a place. Eponymous is an adjectival form of the noun eponym, which comes from the Greek eponymos. Eponymos is composed of the Greek preposition epi 'upon' and the Greek for name onoma/onyma.
In ancient history, eponymous is much used in connection with the Greek magistrates known as archons.
Examples:
- Romulus was the eponymous first king of ancient Rome.
- In ancient Athens, the eponymous archon was the one archon whose name was used to refer to the year.
- The Eponymous heroes of Athens gave their names to the tribes of Athens.
