Modern Greek military ranks are based on
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 pe ...
and
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 ...
terminology.
In the army and air force, these names are often based on the unit or post that a holder of each rank usual commands. For example, a is in charge of a , which is derived from an Ancient Greek word translatable as "command", "order", or "class", and in modern Greek is a unit equivalent to a
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...
in other armies; hence a modern is a rank equivalent to major in other armies. Similarly, a normally commands a (a word that originally meant "
warband"), which in Ancient Greece was a 100-strong
hoplite
Hoplites ( ) ( grc, ὁπλίτης : hoplítēs) were citizen-soldiers of Ancient Greek city-states who were primarily armed with spears and shields. Hoplite soldiers used the phalanx formation to be effective in war with fewer soldiers. The ...
unit, but in modern Greek usage is equivalent to an infantry
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...
. Hence a is the equivalent of a captain in other armies, and the modern Greek equivalent of an army first lieutenant is the modern
neologism
A neologism Ancient_Greek.html"_;"title="_from_Ancient_Greek">Greek_νέο-_''néo''(="new")_and_λόγος_/''lógos''_meaning_"speech,_utterance"is_a_relatively_recent_or_isolated_term,_word,_or_phrase_that_may_be_in_the_process_of_entering_com ...
: literally, "sub-captain". Likewise, the modern Greek equivalent of a sergeant is a .
The suffixes and (or ), which are often found in Greek rank names, are derived from the roots "to lead" and "to rule", respectively.
Air Force
The
Hellenic Air Force
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, is the youngest of the three services (founded in 1930). Its insignia are based on the British
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
, while it uses Army rank titles when translated to English.
Officer ranks
NCO and other ranks
Army
Officer ranks
NCO and other ranks
Navy
Officer ranks
NCO and other ranks
See also
*
Military of Greece
The Hellenic Armed Forces ( el, Eλληνικές Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις, Ellinikés Énoples Dynámis) are the military forces of Greece. They consist of the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Air Force.
The civilian a ...
*
Royal Hellenic Army Ranks
*
Royal Hellenic Navy rank insignia
*
Royal Hellenic Air Force ranks
Notes
References
External links
Hellenic Airforce Ranks Hellenic Air Force website
Διακριτικά Ελληνικού Στρατού (Hellenic Army Insignia) Hellenic Army website
Hellenic Navy website
{{Military ranks by country
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 ...