International Journal of Philology

Concept of “logos” in ancient Greek and Latin traditions: Semantic evolution and philosophical and philological interpretations

Mariia Smetaniak
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Abstract

The study aimed to analyse the semantic evolution of the concept of “λόγος” in the Ancient Greek and Latin traditions. The methodological framework comprised lexicographical, semantic-comparative, textual-contextual and hermeneutic-comparative analyses. The lexicographical analysis made it possible to identify the main meanings of “λόγος”; the semantic-comparative analysis was used to compare them with “verbum”, “ratio”, “sermo” and “oratio”; whilst the textual-contextual and hermeneutic-comparative analyses revealed how the concept functioned in pre-Christian, early Christian and Latin texts. As a result, the study established that “λόγος” in Classical Greek is not limited to the meaning of “word”, but encompasses speech, utterance, proof, explanation, ground, measure, reason, law and principle. The Latin tradition did not develop a single complete equivalent for “λόγος”: its semantics is distributed amongst “verbum”, “ratio”, “sermo” and “oratio”, which convey, respectively, the verbal-theological, rational-explanatory, speech-discursive and rhetorical-compositional dimensions. In pre-Christian Greek texts, “λόγος” functions as a linguistic-philosophical category: in Heraclitus it is associated with the measure and order of the world; in Plato, with the dialogical examination of concepts; in Aristotle, with the argumentative organisation of speech; and in the Stoics, with the rational principle of nature. Greek-Christian and Latin receptions demonstrated a functional reworking of the concept: in Philo of Alexandria, “λόγος” took on a mediating and exegetical function; in the prologue to the Gospel of John, it became the semantic centre of the Christian text; in Justin Martyr, it was apologetic and argumentative; in Clement of Alexandria it was linked to a pedagogical and hermeneutical reinterpretation of the Hellenic tradition, and in the Vulgate it was established in Latin as “verbum”. Study demonstrated that the semantic evolution of “λόγος” is linked to the transition from the Greek polycentric concept to the Latin system of partial equivalents and the early Christian interpretation of the Word. Practical significance of the findings lies in the application of the proposed analytical framework in classical philology, the history of philosophical terminology, religious studies and translation studies. The research findings can be applied when analysing concepts that have been transmitted between the Greek, Latin and Christian traditions

Keywords

classical philology; speech; mediating function; receptive shift; meaning; equivalents; interpretation

Suggested citation
Smetaniak, M. (2026). Concept of “logos” in ancient Greek and Latin traditions: Semantic evolution and philosophical and philological interpretations. International Journal of Philology, 17(2), 42-68. https://doi.org/10.31548/philolog/2.2026.42
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