Etymology
There are several possible etymologies for the name Viriatus. The name can be composed of two elements: Viri and Athus. Viri may come from:
- the Indo-European root *uiros, "man", relating to strength and virility;
- the Celtic *uiro- 'man'; and the older forms viros, viri, viro, viron from which derived the Old Irish word for man, fir;
- from *uei-, as in the viriae or Celtiberian "twisted armbands" used by warriors (Pliny XXIII, 39);
- the Latin viri (pronounced "wee-ree", coming from the Indo-European root above) meaning man, hero, person of courage, honor, and nobility.
The Celtiberian elite called themselves uiros ueramos meaning the 'highest man' and the Latin equivalent would be summus vir.
According to the historian Schulten Viriatus had a Celtic name.
Read more about this topic: Viriathus
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