Tracing the actual meaning of chrio, the basis of what became cristos, in koine Greek is a useful endeavor. Plato, our best source for contextual definitions, uses a compound form of chrio (χρίω) as a verb, meaning “to prick” and “to quarrel.” That’s a rather ominous start for the word most identifiable with Christendom. Chrio is not used at all by Aristotle, our second best resource. We do find chrio in Greek tragedies, however. In these plays, chrio is used to convey: “to rub someone’s body or to stroke oneself.” When used in the context of “fats and oils” it means “to smear.” For example, poison from the robe of Deianira was chrio onto Hercules’ body by way of Deianira’s garment. So we have gone into the realm of myth, tragedy, and poison.
Chrio is most often used by Homer in the context of the application of drugs designed by men to cure the sick. It is from this usage that we derive the Greek designation for “drugstore.” The “c” in Greek chi looks like an “x” (χ) and the Greek rho, has the sound of the English “r” (ρ). They are reversed to form “Rx.” This was because chrio described the application of medicines. Today we call them “drugs.”
Chrio is most often used by Homer in the context of the application of drugs designed by men to cure the sick. It is from this usage that we derive the Greek designation for “drugstore.” The “c” in Greek chi looks like an “x” (χ) and the Greek rho, has the sound of the English “r” (ρ). They are reversed to form “Rx.” This was because chrio described the application of medicines. Today we call them “drugs.”
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