 At other times clan names and patronymics ("son of") were also common, as in Aristides Lysimachu.For example, Alexander the Great was known as "Heracleides", as a supposed descendant of Heracles, and by the dynastic name "Karanos"/"Caranus", which referred to the founder of the dynasty to which he belonged.In none of these cases, though, were these names considered essential parts of the person's name, nor were they explicitly inherited in the manner that is common in many cultures today.