''Episkopoi'' ( grc, ἐπίσκοποι, sing. , ''episkopos'', literally "overseer"),
Latinized ''episcopus''/''episcopi'', were inspectors who were sometimes sent by the
Athenians to subject states.
Harpocration
__NOTOC__
Valerius Harpocration ( grc-gre, Οὐαλέριος or , ''gen''. Ἁρποκρατίωνος) was a Greek grammarian of Alexandria, probably working in the 2nd century AD. He is possibly the Harpocration mentioned by Julius Capitolinus ...
compares them to the
Lacedaemon
Sparta (Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referred ...
ian
harmosts
Harmost ( el, , "joiner" or "adaptor") was a Spartan term for a military governor. The Spartan general Lysander instituted several harmosts during the period of Spartan hegemony after the end of the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC. They were sent int ...
, and says that they were also called ''phylakes'' (φύλακες, "guardians"). It appears that these ''episkopoi'' received a salary at the cost of the cities over which they presided.
The term was used in early
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
to refer to overseers of local churches. It has often been translated as "overseers," "pastors," "shepherds," or "bishops."
See also
*
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
*
Epistates An ( gr, ἐπιστάτης, plural ἐπιστάται, ) in ancient Greece was any sort of superintendent or overseer. In the Hellenistic kingdoms generally, an is always connected with a subject district (a regional assembly), where the , as ...
References
*Aristoph. Aves, 1022, &c., with Schol.';
*Harpocrat. s. v. ; Bockh, Publ. Econ. of Athens^ pp. 156, 238j 2d ed. ;
*Schomann, Antiq. Juris Pub. Graec. p. 432. 18.
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Athenian Empire
Ancient Greek titles