Soter

Soter derives from the Ancient Greek epithet Σωτήρ (Sōtḗr), meaning a saviour, a deliverer. The feminine form is Soteira (Σώτειρα, Sṓteira) or sometimes Soteria (Σωτηρία, Sōtería).

Soter was used as:

• A title of gods: Poseidon Soter, Zeus Soter, Dionysus Soter, Apollo Soter, Hades Soter, Helios Soter, Athena Soteira, Asclepius Soter, and Hecate Soteira.
• The name of a distinct mythical figure, Soter (daimon)
• An epithet of several Hellenistic rulers:
  • Antigonus Monophthalmus (382–301 BCE), awarded the title for liberating Athens from Cassander
  • Ptolemy I Soter, ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt (reigned 323 –283 BCE)
  • Attalus I Soter, the ruler of the Kingdom of Pergamon (reigned 241–197 BCE)
  • Antiochus I Soter, ruler of the Seleucid Empire (reigned 281 –261 BCE)
  • Demetrius I Soter, ruler of the Seleucid Empire (reigned 161–150 BCE)
  • Menander I Soter, ruler of the Indo-Greek kingdom (reigned c. 165/155 –130 BCE)
  • Hermaeus Soter, a western Indo-Greek king (reigned 90–70 BCE)
  • Diomedes Soter
  • Dionysios Soter
  • Polyxenos Epiphanes Soter
  • Rabbel II Soter
  • Seleucus III Ceraunus
  • Ptolemy IX (died 81 BCE), twice king of Ptolemaic Egypt
  • Diodotus I
  • Strato II
  • Strato I
• a title of liberators (see also eleutherios (disambiguation)
• a title of Jesus of Nazareth, which came into use some time after the death of Paul the Apostle,^[1] most particularly in the fish acronym
• the term "God our Saviour" (Greek: θεῷ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν, dative) occurs several times in the New Testament, in the Epistle of Jude,^[2] 1 Timothy and Titus.
• Pope Soter, r. ca. 167 – 174.

See also

• Hellenistic religion
• Messiah
• Soteria (disambiguation)
• Soteriology, the study of salvation; in Christian contexts, the branch of Christology dealing with Jesus' capacity as Saviour of humankind
• Sozusa (disambiguation)

References

1. Moehlman, Conrad Henry. The combination Theos Soter as explanation of the primitive Christian use of Soter as title and name of Jesus. p. 65.
2. Jude 1:25: New Revised Standard Version