Abstract

This study explores the inscription ΚΟΣΩΝ on Dacian gold coins of the 1st century BCE, traditionally associated with a ruler named Koson. Morphological analysis suggests that the Greek ending may indicate a genitive plural, potentially referring to a community rather than a single individual. Comparative linguistics examines the Indo-European root kos/koš, noting parallels in Slavic languages (kosa “hair”) and possible ancient connections to pastoral terms like “sheep leather,” though no classical Greek sources confirm this. Theories also consider pre-Greek or Balkan substratal influences. While the coins demonstrate the existence of Koson, linking the name to Greek or Slavic toponyms remains speculative.

The inscription ΚΟΣΩΝ appears on a group of Dacian gold coins written in Greek letters. These coins are dated to the first century BCE and are usually connected to a ruler called Koson. Although this person is not well known from historical texts, his name survives through these coins. Many scholars believe that Koson may be the same person as the Dacian ruler Cotison mentioned in Roman sources.

The form of the word ΚΟΣΩΝ can be understood in different ways. In Greek, endings like this can sometimes show the genitive plural, meaning “of the people of…”, or a name adapted to Greek spelling. In ancient inscriptions and on coins, place names are often written in the genitive to show origin or ownership.

If ΚΟΣΩΝ is read as “of the Kosoi,” it may refer not to one king but to a group of people or a community connected to a place called Kos or Kosa. Similar plural forms are found in other ancient inscriptions where they represent a people rather than an individual. However, this interpretation is theoretical and is not clearly stated in surviving ancient sources.

The root kos or koš appears in several Indo-European languages. In many Slavic languages, kosa means hair or braid, and the word kos can also mean blackbird. These meanings are well known in South Slavic languages today.

These Slavic meanings are different from what we find in ancient Greek. The Greek island Kos is mentioned already in Homer and appears continuously in ancient sources, but its original meaning is unclear. Traditional Greek explanations usually connect the name to myths or to features of the landscape, not to words meaning hair or sheep.

The idea that kos meant “sheep leather” in ancient Greek is not supported by standard Greek dictionaries. Although sheep and goat herding was common in the Aegean and the Balkans, ancient Greek used other words, such as derma, for animal skins and leather.

Some scholars suggest that names like Kos or Koson may come from older, pre-Greek languages spoken in the Balkans, such as Pelasgian, Illyrian, or Thracian, and were later adapted into Greek. This kind of explanation is possible but remains uncertain.

In Romanian scholarship, the name Coson is sometimes linked to Dacian personal names known from coins. While the coins clearly show that a ruler or group called ΚΟΣΩΝ existed, connecting this name directly to the Greek island Kos or to Slavic words like kosa remains speculative and would need more evidence.