Puns on proper names are common in Greek and Roman literature, and the Greek epigram, with its multiple subgenres, is no exception. The (par)etymology of names – be they real or fictitious – is exploited for a variety of purposes and in a variety of ways. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on the broad topic of proper names in Greek epigrams by offering some reflections on a thorny problem: textual variants involving proper names as evidence of the (authorial?) revision and reuse of texts. A new survey and critical discussion of the (scanty) existing evidence will be provided. Particular attention will be paid to the etymology of proper names, which, in some cases, might suggest a substitution for the purpose of increasing the efficacy of the poetic message.
