''Archon basileus'' ( grc, ἄρχων βασιλεύς ') was 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 ...

title, meaning "king magistrate": the term is derived from the words '' archon'' "

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 judic ...

" and '' basileus'' "

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

" or " sovereign". Most modern scholars claim 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 The Areopagus () is a prominent rock outcropping located northwest of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Its English name is the Late Latin composite form of the Greek name Areios Pagos, translated "Hill of Ares" ( grc, Ἄρειος Πάγος) ...

and later the Boule and Ecclesia, he still nominally held a high position in Athenian society, alongside the '' archon eponymos'' and the ''

polemarchos A polemarch (, from , ''polemarchos'') was a senior military title in various ancient Greek city states (''poleis''). The title is derived from the words ''polemos'' (war) and ''archon'' (ruler, leader) and translates as "warleader" or "warlord". ...

''. The ''archon basileus'' was charged with overseeing the organisation of religious rites and with presiding over trials for homicide. 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 ( grc-gre, Σόλων; BC) was an Athenian statesman, constitutional lawmaker and poet. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in Archaic Athens.Aristotle ''Politics'' ...

's reforms, he was elected from the wealthiest Athenians, the '' Pentakosiomedimnoi'' (Πεντακοσιομέδιμνοι), "500-bushel men", rather than the '' Eupatridae'' (the aristocratic families). After 487 BC, the archonships were assigned by lot. It is believed the ''archon basileus'' wife, the '' basilinna'', had to marry 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 Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

and Solon, would otherwise be confined to the house and be of little importance. During antiquity, women in Greece served as priestesses and presented oracles such as those issued at Delphi.

References

Ancient Greek religious titles Ancient Athenian titles Ancient Greek priests {{AncientGreek-reli-stub

See also

References