In
ancient Greece
Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...
, a ''proboulos'' (Greek: πρόβουλος
) was a
commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
or
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 ...
. Classical scholar Xavier Riu writes that it was a position created 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 ...
"to cope with the difficult situation of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
at that moment of the war, and it was formed by aged and probably very respected men."
[Riu, Xavier (1999). ''Dionysism and comedy.'' Rowman & Littlefield, ] A board of 10 proboulos were elected during
Pelloponnesian War in 413 BC and took over some of council's functions.
Among the notable ''probouloi'' were the playwright
Sophocles
Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...
[Bowden, Hugh (2005). Classical Athens and the Delphic oracle: divination and democracy Cambridge University Press, ] and the general
Hagnon.
[Kagan, Donald (1991). ''The Fall of the Athenian Empire.'' Cornell University Press, ]
In the comedy ''
Lysistrata
''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', "Army Disbander") is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponne ...
'', a ''proboulos'' goes on a tirade against Lysistrata after losing a long debate.
[McGlew, James F. (2002). ''Citizens on stage: comedy and political culture in the Athenian democracy''. University of Michigan Press, ]
References
Ancient Greek titles
{{AncientGreece-stub