Why Europe was called Europe?

Often we do not think where we come fromthe names of the geographical objects that are habitual for us. For example, Europe. Why this part of the world called it this way? For a definite answer to this question today, not a single researcher undertakes. Let's look at different versions.

According to the French explorer Chantren, the name "Europe" is translated from ancient Greek as "wide-eyed". Another version of the translation is "dark earth".

As a geographical name, the word"Europe" is mentioned in ancient Greek literature. But why Europe was called Europe? Let's start with where this name came from. Europe - one of the heroines of ancient Greek myths. According to legend, the Phoenician princess with that name was once kidnapped by the famous ladies' man of the Greek pantheon - the supreme god Zeus. Raging with passion for the girl, he stole it and took him, pretending to be a bull, to the island of Crete. Gradually, the inhabitants of this island began to call their homeland the name of this beautiful Phoenician. Later, already in the V century BC, the name "Europe" began to spread throughout Greece. And the more knowledge of the Greeks about the world around them, the further the borders of Europe were moved, that is, this name passed to all the lands around Greece.