Everyday LifeGreek → English
Cleopas
/ˈkliːəpəs/noun
A male given name, borne by the disciple who met the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
The Greek roots
κλέος
kléos
glory, renown
πατήρ
patḗr
father
Literally: “glory of the father”
The story of the word
Short for Κλεόπατρος, the way Nick is short for Nicholas, and the same compound that produced Cleopatra with the elements in the other order. κλέος is the oldest prize in Greek: the undying fame Achilles chooses over a long quiet life. Luke gives Cleopas a name and his companion none, which has kept commentators busy for nineteen centuries.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Same family
CleopatrapatriarchPatrickpaternal
In a sentence
The parish is dedicated to Saint Cleopas.
In the painting, Cleopas is the older of the two travellers reaching for the bread.