Moira ( el, , pronounced ''míra'', plural ) is a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

term for a

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

formation.

Etymologically Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words an ...

, it is derived from the roots *μερ- and *μορ-, which mean "to part". ''Moira'' therefore means "a part, a division", and is cognate with the similar term ''meros''. In the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

period, it was used to denote

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

-sized commands, while in the modern Greek military, it is used by some branches to designate battalion-sized units.

Byzantine usage

In the late 6th to early 7th century, the

Late Roman military The military of ancient Rome, according to Titus Livius, one of the more illustrious historians of Rome over the centuries, was a key element in the rise of Rome over "above seven hundred years" from a small settlement in Latium to the capital of ...

system, which was still in use by the East Roman or Byzantine Empire, went through a process of martial transformations that culminated with the establishment of the new military-administrative

theme system Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...

in the 680s. Every major division, called a ''thema'' (Greek: θέμα), was further divided into '' tourmai'' while each ''tourma'' was divided into ''moirai'' or '' droungoi'', which in turn were composed of several '' banda''. Thus each ''moira'' or ''droungos'' was the analogue of a modern regiment or brigade, initially circa 1000 men strong (and hence also referred to as a '' chiliarchia''), although on occasion it could rise to 3000 men, and Emperor

Leo VI the Wise Leo VI, called the Wise ( gr, Λέων ὁ Σοφός, Léōn ho Sophós, 19 September 866 – 11 May 912), was Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty (although his parentage is unclear), he was very well r ...

(r. 886–912) is recorded as having established ''droungoi'' of only 400 men for the new smaller themes..

Modern Greek usage

In the

Hellenic Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 8 November , equipment = , equipment_label ...

, but also in the Aviation services of both Army and Navy, ''moira'' (Greek: μοίρα, plural μοίρες) is the term used for squadrons. Likewise, the

Hellenic Navy The Hellenic Navy (HN; el, Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, War Navy, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of vari ...

uses the term for a squadron of ships. In the

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

in addition, the term is used to designate

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

battalions and

Special Operation Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

battalion-sized squadrons (Raider and Paratrooper Squadrons).

References

Sources

* Military units and formations of the Byzantine Empire Military units and formations of Greece {{Greece-mil-stub