A polemarch (, from , ''polemarchos'') was a senior military title in various
ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
city state
A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
s (''poleis''). The title is derived from the words ''
polemos
In Greek mythology, Polemos or Polemus ( grc-gre, Πόλεμος ''Pólemos''; "war") was a daemon; a divine personification or embodiment of war. No cult practices or myths are known for him, and as an abstract representation he figures mai ...
'' (war) and ''
archon
''Archon'' ( gr, ἄρχων, árchōn, plural: ἄρχοντες, ''árchontes'') is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem αρχ-, mean ...
'' (ruler, leader) and translates as "warleader" or "warlord". The name indicates that the polemarch's original function was to command the army; presumably the office was created to take over this function from the king. The title held a high position in Athenian society, alongside the ''
archon eponymos
In ancient Greece the chief magistrate in various Greek city states was called eponymous archon (ἐπώνυμος ἄρχων, ''epōnymos archōn''). "Archon" (ἄρχων, pl. ἄρχοντες, ''archontes'') means "ruler" or "lord", frequently ...
'' and the ''
archon basileus ''Archon basileus'' ( grc, ἄρχων βασιλεύς ') was a Greek title, meaning "king magistrate": the term is derived from the words ''archon'' "magistrate" and '' basileus'' "king" or " sovereign".
Most modern scholars claim that in Classic ...
''.
In
Modern Greek
Modern Greek (, , or , ''Kiní Neoellinikí Glóssa''), generally referred to by speakers simply as Greek (, ), refers collectively to the dialects of the Greek language spoken in the modern era, including the official standardized form of the ...
, polemarchos means
warlord
A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...
.
Ancient Greece
Athens
In Athens, the ''polemarchos'' was one of nine annually appointed ''archontes'' (''ἄρχοντες'') and functioned as the commander of the military, though to what extent is debated among historians.
At the
Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of ...
Herodotus described the vote of the ''polemarchos'',
Callimachus
Callimachus (; ) was an ancient Greek poet, scholar and librarian who was active in Alexandria during the 3rd century BC. A representative of Ancient Greek literature of the Hellenistic period, he wrote over 800 literary works in a wide variety ...
, as the deciding factor during debate over engagement in battle; it is disputed whether this vote implies that the position of ''polemarchos'' was an equal to a ''strategos'' or that of a commander-in-chief. The ''polemarchos'
'' military responsibilities continued until 487 BC, when a new procedure was adopted and
magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
s were then appointed by lot. Following this reform, the military duties were handled by the ''strategos.'' By the mid-5th Century BC, the ''polemarchos role was reduced to ceremonial and judicial functions, and primarily presided over preliminary trials involving
metic
In ancient Greece, a metic (Ancient Greek: , : from , , indicating change, and , 'dwelling') was a foreign resident of Athens, one who did not have citizen rights in their Greek city-state (''polis'') of residence.
Origin
The history of foreign m ...
s' family, inheritance, and status cases.
After the preliminary stage the cases would either continue under the judgement of the ''polemarchos'', or be remitted to tribal or municipal judges.
The ''polemarchos'' also conducted certain religious sacrificial offerings and arranged the funeral ceremonies for men killed in war.
Sparta
In the new structure of the
Spartan Army
The Spartan army stood at the center of the Spartan state, citizens trained in the disciplines and honor of a warrior society.Connolly (2006), p. 38 Subjected to military drills since early manhood, the Spartans became one of the most feare ...
, introduced sometime during the
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...
, a ''polemarchos'' was the commander of a ''
mora
Mora may refer to:
People
* Mora (surname)
Places Sweden
* Mora, Säter, Sweden
* Mora, Sweden, the seat of Mora Municipality
* Mora Municipality, Sweden
United States
* Mora, Louisiana, an unincorporated community
* Mora, Minnesota, a city
* M ...
'' of 576 men, one of six in the Spartan army on campaign. On occasion however they were appointed to head armies. The six Spartan ''polemarchoi'' seem to have been on equal power to kings at expeditions outside
Laconia
Laconia or Lakonia ( el, Λακωνία, , ) is a historical and administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparta. The word ''laconic''—to speak in a blunt, c ...
and were usually descendants of the royal houses. They were part of the royal army council and the royal escort (δαμοσία) and were supported or represented by officers (συμφορεῖς). The ''polemarchoi'' were also responsible for public meals, since, by the laws of
Lycurgus
Lycurgus or Lykourgos () may refer to:
People
* Lycurgus (king of Sparta) (third century BC)
* Lycurgus (lawgiver) (eighth century BC), creator of constitution of Sparta
* Lycurgus of Athens (fourth century BC), one of the 'ten notable orators' ...
, the
Lacedaemonians
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 t ...
would eat and fight in the same group. Next to their military and connected responsibilities, the ''polemarchoi'' were responsible for some civil and juridical tasks (not unlike the ''archōn polemarchos'' in Athens).
Boeotia
In the early 4th century BC several
Boeotia
Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia ( el, Βοιωτία; modern: ; ancient: ), formerly known as Cadmeis, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, and its lar ...
n ''poleis'' instituted the position of ''polemarchos'', though there was no unified policy. Of the surviving accounts, Plutarch and Xenophon describe three ''polemarchoi'' as executive officials of
Thebes during this period.
Other uses
In modern use, the Greek Letter fraternity
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never restricted membership on the basis of color, creed ...
titles their fraternity leaders as Polemarchs.
Fictional use
This position was featured in
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...
's novel ''
Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
''. In the novel, the position of polemarch was charged with the supreme command of humanity's space fleets, the International Fleet. The Polemarch, along with the positions of
Strategos
''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...
and
Hegemon
Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states. In Ancient Greece (8th BC – AD 6th ), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' city-state over oth ...
, was one of the three most powerful people alive.
This title was also given to the
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
character
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics.
Publication history
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall debuted in ''Wonder Woman'' vol. 2 #90 (September 1994) and was created by writer William ...
, an
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
in the ''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'' comic books. For a period Artemis served as
Paradise Island's co-ruler alongside fellow Amazon
Philippus. Whereas Philippus oversaw the day-to-day rule of the island, Artemis oversaw its military aspects.
[''Wonder Woman'' (vol. 2) #208]
The title was used to signify soldiers who commanded fortifications and other camps in the 2018
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...
video game ''
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey''. They were the strongest regular enemies in the game and killing them would lower the ‘nation power’ of a particular state in Greece substantially.
See also
*
References
{{Highest Military Ranks
Ancient Greek military terminology
Ancient Greek titles
Military ranks of ancient Greece