Taxiarch

Taxiarch, the anglicised form of ''taxiarchos'' or ''taxiarchēs'' ( el, ταξίαρχος or ταξιάρχης) is used in the Greek language to mean "brigadier". The term derives from ''táxis'', "order", in military context "an ordered formation". In turn, the rank has given rise to the Greek term for brigade, ''taxiarchia''. In Greek Orthodox Church usage, the term is also applied to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, as leaders of the heavenly host, and several locations in Greece are named after them.

Ancient use

In Ancient Greece, the title/rank was held by a number of officers in the armies of several but not all city-states, with Sparta being a notable exception. In Classical Athens, there were ten taxiarchs, one for each of the city's tribes ('' phylai''), a subordinate to the respective ''strategos''. The perhaps most famous taxiarchs however were those of the ancient Macedonian '' Pezhetairoi'' infantry.

Byzantine use

The term first appears in use in the Byzantine army in the late 6th-century ''Strategikon'' of emperor Maurice, where it is reserved for the commander of the elite '' Optimatoi'' mercenary corps. In the 10th-century, the term was revived and refers to the commander of one of the new type of infantry brigade (''taxiarchia''), composed of 500 heavy infantry, 300 archers and 200 light infantry. On account of their numerical size, these units were also known as ''chiliarchia'', and their commander correspondingly as '' chiliarchos'', and are also equated to the thematic ''droungos'' under a ''droungarios''. During the 11th century, with the demise of the thematic armies, the rank rose in importance, and eventually surpassed and replaced that of '' tourmarches'', so that in the Komnenian-era army, the ''taxiarchia'' was the largest-scale permanent infantry formation.

Modern use

In the modern Hellenic Army the rank of ''Taxiarchos'' (abbreviated Ταξχος) is equivalent to Brigadier General with a NATO Code OF-6. The rank was introduced in the Greek military by Royal Decree on 5 June 1946, and the insignia instituted later in the same year. It is superior to a '' Syntagmatarchis'' (Colonel) and inferior to an '' Ypostratigos'' (Major General). The rank's insignia consists of a flaming grenade (replacing the crown borne under the Greek monarchy), a crossed sword and baton device and a six-pointed star. A ''Taxiarchos'' typically serves as the commanding officer of a brigade or as the executive officer of a division.

In the Hellenic Air Force, which otherwise uses Royal Air Force-style ranks different from those of the Army, the equivalent rank ( Air Commodore) is denoted as ''Taxiarchos tis Aeroporias'' ("Air Force Brigadier") or simply ''Taxiarchos''.STANAG 2116: "NATO codes for grades of military personnel", 6th edition, 2010, page C-2 The rank is also used by the Hellenic Police (and the Greek Gendarmerie before) and the Cypriot National Guard.

Gallery

File:GR-Army-OF6-1946.svg, Rank insignia of a ''Taxiarchos'', 1946–1959
File:GR-Army-OF6-1959.svg, Rank insignia of a ''Taxiarchos'', 1959–1968
File:Army-GRE-OF-06.svg, Rank insignia of a ''Taxiarchos'', 1975–today
File:Hellenic Air Force OF-6.svg, Rank insignia of a ''Taxiarchos tis Aeroporias'', 1946–today
File:GR-Police-OF6.svg, Rank insignia of a Police ''Taxiarchos'', 1986–today

References

{{Greece officer ranks

Military ranks of Greece
Ancient Greek military terminology
Military ranks of ancient Greece
Military ranks of ancient Macedon
Byzantine military offices
Christian terminology