ΧΡΗΜΑ

Definition

According to the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon, chrēma (pl. chrēmata) originally means 'that which one uses, a thing, matter, business.' Its primary meaning is directly linked to the verb chraomai ('to use, to need'), denoting anything useful or necessary for human life and activity. This broad sense encompasses objects, tools, but also abstract situations or affairs.

Over time, the meaning of chrēma became specialized, referring primarily to 'property, possessions, goods,' and later, to 'money, wealth.' In the Classical era, particularly in Plato and Aristotle, chrēma became an object of philosophical inquiry regarding value, utility, and the nature of wealth. Aristotle, in his "Politics," distinguishes oikonomikē (the art of household management) from chrēmatistikē (the art of acquiring wealth, often in the sense of accumulating money).

In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, as well as in the New Testament, chrēma is used almost exclusively for 'currency' and 'material wealth,' often with ethical or theological implications concerning attachment to worldly goods. The word thus maintains a dynamic evolution, from the simple concept of 'thing' to the complex notion of 'wealth' and 'value' in human society.

Main Meanings

1. Thing, object, matter, affair, business — The general and original meaning, anything that exists or happens. E.g., «τὰ πάντα χρήματα» (all things).
2. That which is used, useful thing, implement — Anything that serves a purpose or is beneficial. E.g., «χρήματα πρὸς τὸν βίον» (things useful for life).
3. Property, possessions, goods, estate — A collective term for material goods owned by someone. E.g., «πολλὰ χρήματα ἔχειν» (to have many possessions).
4. Money, wealth, riches — The most common meaning from the Classical era onwards, especially in the plural (chrēmata). E.g., «τὰ χρήματα τῆς πόλεως» (the money of the city).
5. Benefit, profit, advantage — That which is gained as a result of an action or transaction. E.g., «οὐδὲν χρῆμα ἐκ τούτου» (no benefit from this).
6. Transaction, enterprise, business (in plural) — Affairs or activities involving money or property. E.g., «ἐν χρήμασι διατρίβειν» (to be engaged in financial matters).
7. Value, utility (philosophical concept) — In philosophical texts, the inherent worth or functional usefulness of a thing. E.g., «τὸ χρῆμα τῆς ἀρετῆς» (the value of virtue).

Word Family

chra- (root of the verb chraomai, meaning 'to use, to need')

The root chra- forms the core of a significant word family in Ancient Greek, expressing the concepts of use, need, utility, and transaction. From the initial idea of 'to use' or 'to need,' this root generates derivatives that describe both the objects of use (chrēma) and the act of using (chraomai), the quality of being useful (chrēstos), or the necessity (chreia). Each member of the family develops a specific aspect of this fundamental relationship between humans and their environment, whether material or abstract.

In Ancient Texts

Three characteristic passages that highlight the evolution of the meaning of chrēma:

The 18 Methods

Applying the 18 traditional lexarithmic methods to the word ΧΡΗΜΑ:

Sources & Bibliography

• Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S. — A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed. with revised supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996.
• Plato — Republic, Laws.
• Aristotle — Politics, Nicomachean Ethics.
• Heraclitus — Fragments (Diels-Kranz).
• Gospel of Matthew — New Testament.
• Thucydides — History of the Peloponnesian War.
• Xenophon — Oeconomicus.