I found the passage between Sophos and Gen from "The Thief". This is what is says:
"Are you really named after the god of thieves?" "I am." "Well, how could they tell what you were going to be when you were just a baby?" "How did they know what you were going to be when you were a baby." "My father was a duke." "So my mother was a thief." "So you would have to grow up to be one, too?" "Most of the people in my family thought so. My father wanted me to be a soldier, but he's been disappointed."
Notice he doesn't answer Sophos' question directly. He answers with another question, and doesn't just say "Yes" to the question of "So you would have to grow up to be one, too?" He just says MOST of the people in his family thought so. He also doesn't specifically say he was given that name at birth, just that he's named after the god...which he could have been named later on. This series is full of names-that-are-also-titles that characters are granted later in life (Sounis, Attolis, etc).
If being the Queen's Thief is strictly hereditary like being a duke, does that mean that Gen's mother was also named Eugenides (or Eugenidia)?? Was Gen named Eugenides because he was the oldest of his siblings (was he?) and was therefore destined to become Queen's Thief?
The fact that he says MOST of the people in his family thought he would be a thief makes me suspect that it's not in fact a straight forward title/name passed down in a straight line. Otherwise, wouldn't ALL of the people in his family have expected him to be Thief by virtue of his birth?
This is talked about again later on after they make it to Eddis. Sophos asks, "Was it because your mother was the Queen's Thief that you were called Eugenides?"
Gen replied, "Partly. It's closer to the truth to say that Eugenides is a family name and I was named after my grandfather. But my mother, you know, was never the Queen's Thief. She died before my grandfather did, and I inherited the title directly from him."
If Eugenides is a name given to whomever is next in line to be Thief, why doesn't he say he was named after his mother (presuming she is included in the line of thieves who are ALL named after the god)? Instead, he was "named after his grandfather" who'd held the QT title last. And, again, him saying "Partly" makes me think that being Thief is not simply a matter of who's-next-in-line.
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Date: 5/17/17 05:42 pm (UTC)"Are you really named after the god of thieves?"
"I am."
"Well, how could they tell what you were going to be when you were just a baby?"
"How did they know what you were going to be when you were a baby."
"My father was a duke."
"So my mother was a thief."
"So you would have to grow up to be one, too?"
"Most of the people in my family thought so. My father wanted me to be a soldier, but he's been disappointed."
Notice he doesn't answer Sophos' question directly. He answers with another question, and doesn't just say "Yes" to the question of "So you would have to grow up to be one, too?" He just says MOST of the people in his family thought so. He also doesn't specifically say he was given that name at birth, just that he's named after the god...which he could have been named later on. This series is full of names-that-are-also-titles that characters are granted later in life (Sounis, Attolis, etc).
If being the Queen's Thief is strictly hereditary like being a duke, does that mean that Gen's mother was also named Eugenides (or Eugenidia)?? Was Gen named Eugenides because he was the oldest of his siblings (was he?) and was therefore destined to become Queen's Thief?
The fact that he says MOST of the people in his family thought he would be a thief makes me suspect that it's not in fact a straight forward title/name passed down in a straight line. Otherwise, wouldn't ALL of the people in his family have expected him to be Thief by virtue of his birth?
This is talked about again later on after they make it to Eddis.
Sophos asks, "Was it because your mother was the Queen's Thief that you were called Eugenides?"
Gen replied, "Partly. It's closer to the truth to say that Eugenides is a family name and I was named after my grandfather. But my mother, you know, was never the Queen's Thief. She died before my grandfather did, and I inherited the title directly from him."
If Eugenides is a name given to whomever is next in line to be Thief, why doesn't he say he was named after his mother (presuming she is included in the line of thieves who are ALL named after the god)? Instead, he was "named after his grandfather" who'd held the QT title last. And, again, him saying "Partly" makes me think that being Thief is not simply a matter of who's-next-in-line.
*overthinking galore*