A phylarch (, ) is a Greek title meaning "ruler of a tribe", from ''

phyle ''Phyle'' (, ; pl. ''phylai'', ; derived from Greek , ''phyesthai'' ) is an ancient Greek term for tribe or clan. Members of the same ''phyle'' were known as ''symphyletai'' () meaning 'fellow tribesmen'. During the late 6th century BC, Cleist ...

'', "tribe" + ''archein'' "to rule".

Athens

Classical Athens The city of Athens (, ''Athênai'' ; Modern Greek: Αθήναι, ''Athine'' ) during the classical period of ancient Greece (480–323 BC) was the major urban centre of the notable '' polis'' ( city-state) of the same name, located in Attica, ...

, a phylarch was the elected commander of the cavalry provided by each of the city's ten tribes. In 442/441 BC, during the cavalry reforms initiated by

Pericles Pericles (; ; –429 BC) was a Greek statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Ancient Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, and was acclaimed ...

, each of these tribal groups was authorised to levy a cavalry unit (''phyle'') of 100 citizens. Each was led by a ''phylarch'', who in turn reported to two ''hipparchoi'' commanding the entire cavalry force. Both levels of officer were appointed by an electoral process carried out each year. As citizen auxiliaries to the regular Athenian cavalry, detachments of mounted archers were employed. These were also commanded by ''phylarch'' leaders. Athenian citizens provided their own equipment and clothing for military service and there is no evidence of required uniform items for any ranks. However there are literary references in drama to individual ''phylarch'' and other officers wearing ''pilos'' helmets or crimson cloaks.

Subsequent eras

During the

Hellenistic period In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

, the term had its literal meaning as head of a tribe. It seemed to apply to

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

s who commanded tribes, essentially the equivalent to "

sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

". This usage continued in the

later Roman Empire In historiography, the Late or Later Roman Empire, traditionally covering the period from 284 CE to 641 CE, was a time of significant transformation in Roman governance, society, and religion. Diocletian's reforms, including the establishment of t ...

of the 4th to 7th centuries, where the title was given to the leading princes of the Empire's Arab allies in the East, both those settled within the Empire and outside. From ca. 530 to ca. 585, the individual phylarchs were subordinated to a supreme phylarch from the Ghassanid dynasty. In

Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, theologian, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VII ...

's ''

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...

'' (1516), leaders of Utopian cities are called phylarchs.

References

{{Reflist Ancient Athenian titles Byzantine titles and offices Greek words and phrases