Submitted Name Revision History

Latinized form of Greek Κυρήνη (Kyrene), possibly from Greek κῦρος (kuros) meaning "supreme power". In Greek mythology this was the name of a nymph loved by the god Apollo; she was a huntress on Mount Pelion in Thessaly, but Apollo carried her to what is now Libya, where he founded the city of Cyrene in her honour. The ruins of Cyrene are among the most impressive to survive from the ancient world. This name was also borne by a famous hetaira (courtesan or prostitute of ancient Greece, in whose case it was likely a stage name) mentioned in Aristophanes' play Thesmophoriazusae, which was first produced in 411 BC.