Rhode

Rhode (in ancient Greek: ) or the young woman (in ancient Greek: ) is a Christian who is one of the main characters in the Greek and Christian novel known as The Shepherd of Hermas. Her name and historical existence are far from certain.

Novel

Onomastic issues The name of this character is difficult to restore because it is located in a lacuna in the surviving manuscripts of the text. When the novel was discovered by Adolf Hilgenfeld in the 19th century, he proposed the reading Ῥόδη (Rhódē) in the lacuna and thus attributed this name to the character. whom she supposedly freed. However, if the lacuna is restored differently, she would not be his former mistress but a fellow slave. This initial sin is the catalyst for the novel, with Hermas subsequently receiving visions, including from Rhode, never named as such, urging him to repent.