Karponʹko

This name derives from the Ancient Greek “karpós (καρπός),” meaning “illustrious fruit, the one who gathers the fruit.” In Greek mythology, Karpos was a youth renowned for his beauty. He is the son of Zephyrus (the west wind) and Khloris (spring, or new vegetation), forming a natural metaphor, and the west wind heralds the further growth of spring, which then bears fruit. In some ways, Carpo, one of the Horae, is the female equivalent of Karpos; her dominion was autumn, ripening, and harvesting. St. Carponius was a martyr with his sister, Fortunata, and his brothers, Evaristus and Priscian. They were executed for the faith in Caesarea in Palestine in the reign of Emperor Diocletian. The feast day is celebrated on October 14.