📌WHAT MIGHT YOUR EPITHET BE?
Many great leaders and well known people throughout our history have inadvertently had an epithet attached to their name - usually well after they’ve moved on from this life. Such an example is Alexander, the once King of Macedonia, who we all now refer to as Alexander The Great. The linguistic term for this sort of nickname is epithet.
It was found to be especially useful in distinguishing between emperors, kings and queens with the same name. Charles, for example, on its own means nothing. But Charles the Great refers to Charlemagne of France. However, these epithets are not always flattering. There was once a king called Charles who is now referred to as Charles The Bald, a Roman Emperor ruling from 823 to 877.
How about Charles The Fat? Once king of the Carolingian empire in Europe. Then there was Charles The Simple, king of West Francia. Also there was Charles The Good, a popular Count of Flanders who was murdered in 1127 while praying in a church.
And then there's Charles the Lame, king of Naples from 1254 - 1309. Who knows how he got that name! He actually got his wife pregnant more than 14 times, so it wasn’t referring to his manhood!
How many more can you think of? There is even much discussion taking place about whether our late Queen Elizabeth should be remembered as Elizabeth the Great. Not that I’m seeking an epithet after I’ve departed this world, but perhaps I would be remembered as Trevor the Frustrated or Trevor the Great Ranter!
How about you? Share your predicted epithet below - for the record!
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