In Mark 5, the story of the Gerasene demoniac, the second exorcism account in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus asks the demon about his name, possibly an exorcism technique, since to know the name gives power over the other. Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” (Mark 5:9) The Greek word “legion,” which is a Roman military term, is a Latin loanword, from legio (an army; a large body of troops). The demon in Mark 5 is in effect saying that the man Jesus is about to heal is possessed not by one but by two thousand demons.
