Archon basileus
Encyclopedia
Archon Basileus was a Greek
title, meaning 'king magistrate': the term is derived the words archon
"magistrate
" and basileus
"king
" or "sovereign
".
Most modern scholars claim (without any real evidence) that in classical Athens
, the Archon Basileus was the last remnant of monarchy. Although much of his powers, they say, had been filtered away to other institutions such as the Areopagus
and later the Boule
and Ecclesia
, he still nominally held a high position in Athenian society, alongside the Eponymous Archon and Polemarch. The Archon Basileus was charged with overseeing the organisation of religious rites.
There is a tradition that originally the Archon Basileus was elected from the Athenian aristocracy every ten years. After 683 BC, the office was only held for a year, and after Solon
's reforms, he was elected from the wealthiest Athenians, the Pentakosiomedimnoi (Πεντακοσιομέδιμνοι), "500-bushel men", rather than the Eupatridae
, (the aristocractic families). After 487 BC
, the Archonships were assigned by lot.
It is believed the Basileus Archon's wife, the Basilinna
, had to marry to and have intercourse with the god Dionysos during a festival at the Boukoleion in Athens, to ensure the city's safety. It is uncertain how this was enacted. However, this was an important role for a woman who, according to Plutarch and Solon, would otherwise be confined to the house and be of little importance. During antiquity, women in Greece served as priestesses and presented oracle
s such as those issued at Delphi.
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
title, meaning 'king magistrate': the term is derived the words archon
Archon
Archon is a Greek word that means "ruler" or "lord", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ἀρχ-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy, and anarchy.- Ancient Greece :In ancient Greece the...
"magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
" and basileus
Basileus
Basileus is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs in history. It is perhaps best known in English as a title used by the Byzantine Emperors, but also has a longer history of use for persons of authority and sovereigns in ancient Greece, as well as for the kings of...
"king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
" or "sovereign
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
".
Most modern scholars claim (without any real evidence) that in classical Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, the Archon Basileus was the last remnant of monarchy. Although much of his powers, they say, had been filtered away to other institutions such as the Areopagus
Areopagus
The Areopagus or Areios Pagos is the "Rock of Ares", north-west of the Acropolis, which in classical times functioned as the high Court of Appeal for criminal and civil cases in Athens. Ares was supposed to have been tried here by the gods for the murder of Poseidon's son Alirrothios .The origin...
and later the Boule
Boule (Ancient Greece)
In cities of ancient Greece, the boule meaning to will ) was a council of citizens appointed to run daily affairs of the city...
and Ecclesia
Ecclesia (ancient Athens)
The ecclesia or ekklesia was the principal assembly of the democracy of ancient Athens during its "Golden Age" . It was the popular assembly, opened to all male citizens over the age of 30 with 2 years of military service by Solon in 594 BC meaning that all classes of citizens in Athens were able...
, he still nominally held a high position in Athenian society, alongside the Eponymous Archon and Polemarch. The Archon Basileus was charged with overseeing the organisation of religious rites.
There is a tradition that originally the Archon Basileus was elected from the Athenian aristocracy every ten years. After 683 BC, the office was only held for a year, and after Solon
Solon
Solon was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in archaic Athens...
's reforms, he was elected from the wealthiest Athenians, the Pentakosiomedimnoi (Πεντακοσιομέδιμνοι), "500-bushel men", rather than the Eupatridae
Eupatridae
Eupatridae refers to the ancient nobility of the Greek region of Attica....
, (the aristocractic families). After 487 BC
487 BC
Year 487 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sicinius and Aquillius...
, the Archonships were assigned by lot.
It is believed the Basileus Archon's wife, the Basilinna
Basilinna
Basilinna was the title of the wife of the Archon Basileus of ancient Athens. During the festival of Anthesteria, the basilinna was given as the ceremonial bride to Dionysus. She was attended to by the fourteen gerarai at this time...
, had to marry to and have intercourse with the god Dionysos during a festival at the Boukoleion in Athens, to ensure the city's safety. It is uncertain how this was enacted. However, this was an important role for a woman who, according to Plutarch and Solon, would otherwise be confined to the house and be of little importance. During antiquity, women in Greece served as priestesses and presented oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
s such as those issued at Delphi.
Sources
- Stanton, G.R. Athenian Politics c.800–500 B.C.: A Sourcebook. London and New York: Routledge, 1990.