Petsuchos
/pɛtˈsuːkəs/noun
Petsuchos was the name given by Greek writers to a sacred crocodile associated with the Egyptian god Sobek, especially at Crocodilopolis.
Did you know?When a sacred Petsuchos died, priests ritually buried it and replaced it with another crocodile, continuing the god’s earthly presence.
Etymological Timeline
Late 2nd Millennium BCE onward
Egyptian
pꜣ-di-Sbk
“The one whom Sobek has given; a theophoric name invoking the crocodile god.”
1st Millennium BCE
Demotic Egyptian
Pꜣ-di-Sbk
“A personal or sacred name meaning one given by Sobek.”
Ptolemaic Period, 3rd–1st Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Πετεσοῦχος (Petesouchos)
“Greek rendering of the Egyptian name for a sacred crocodile connected with Sobek.”
Roman Period
Latin
Petesuchus
“A sacred crocodile or the name of such an animal in Egyptian religious tradition.”
19th–20th Century
English
Petsuchos
“Scholarly English transliteration for the sacred crocodile associated with Sobek, particularly at Arsinoe or Crocodilopolis.”
Modern English
English
Petsuchos
“A proper name used in Egyptology and classical studies for Sobek’s sacred crocodile.”