Hellenes
/ˈhɛl.iːniz/noun
A name for the Greek people, especially in classical and historical contexts.
Did you know?The name Hellenes comes from Hellen, a mythic ancestor in Greek tradition, and later became the umbrella term Greeks used for themselves—especially in contrast to outsiders.
Etymological Timeline
Mythic/Proto-Historic Greek
Greek
Hellenes
“The Greek people, named after the ancestral figure Hellen.”
Classical Greek
Greek
Hellēnes
“Greeks; members of the Hellenic world.”
Late Antiquity
Greek
Hellēn
“Greek, especially a non-Christian Greek in some contexts.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Graeci / Hellenes
“Greeks, with Hellenes used in learned or historical reference.”
Modern English
English
Hellenes
“A formal or historical term for Greeks.”