Archon basileus

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Archon basileus

Archon Basileus (Greek

Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ????? ?as??e??) was a Greek

Ancient Greece

The term Ancient Greece refers to the period of History of Greece lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman Republic conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth ....
title, meaning 'king magistrate': the term is derived the words archon
Archon

Archon is a Greek language word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ???-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy and anarchism....
"magistrate

Magistrate

A magistrate is a judicial officer; in ancient Rome, the word magistratus denoted one of the highest government officers with judicial and executive powers....
" and basileus
Basileus

Basileus , signifies "Monarch" or "king". It is perhaps best known in English language as a title used by Byzantine Empire emperors, but also has a longer history of use for persons of authority in ancient Greece, as well as for the kings of modern Greece....
"king" or "sovereign".

In classical Athens

Athens

Athens , the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the List of cities by time of continuous habitation, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
, the Archon Basileus was the last remnant of monarchy. Although much of his powers had been filtered away to other institutions such as the Areopagus

Areopagus

The Areopagus or Areios Pagos is the 'Hill of Ares', north-west of the Acropolis, Athens, which in classical times functioned as the high Court of Appeal for criminal and civil cases in Athens....
and later the Boule

Boule

The term Boule may refer to:* Boule , plural boulai, assembly forming part of city governments in Ancient Greece* Boule , block of synthetically-produced crystal material...
and Ecclesia

Ecclesia

Ecclesia or ekklesia may refer to:* Ecclesia , the Christian Church**See Church militant and church triumphant for ecclesia militans, ecclesia penitens, ''ecclesia triumphans...
, he still nominally held a high position in Athenian society, alongside the Eponymous Archon and Polemarch.

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Archon Basileus (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ????? ?as??e??) was a Greek
Ancient Greece

The term Ancient Greece refers to the period of History of Greece lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman Republic conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth ....
title, meaning 'king magistrate': the term is derived the words archon
Archon

Archon is a Greek language word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ???-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy and anarchism....
"magistrate
Magistrate

A magistrate is a judicial officer; in ancient Rome, the word magistratus denoted one of the highest government officers with judicial and executive powers....
" and basileus
Basileus

Basileus , signifies "Monarch" or "king". It is perhaps best known in English language as a title used by Byzantine Empire emperors, but also has a longer history of use for persons of authority in ancient Greece, as well as for the kings of modern Greece....
"king" or "sovereign".

In classical Athens
Athens

Athens , the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the List of cities by time of continuous habitation, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
, the Archon Basileus was the last remnant of monarchy. Although much of his powers had been filtered away to other institutions such as the Areopagus
Areopagus

The Areopagus or Areios Pagos is the 'Hill of Ares', north-west of the Acropolis, Athens, which in classical times functioned as the high Court of Appeal for criminal and civil cases in Athens....
and later the Boule
Boule

The term Boule may refer to:* Boule , plural boulai, assembly forming part of city governments in Ancient Greece* Boule , block of synthetically-produced crystal material...
and Ecclesia
Ecclesia

Ecclesia or ekklesia may refer to:* Ecclesia , the Christian Church**See Church militant and church triumphant for ecclesia militans, ecclesia penitens, ''ecclesia triumphans...
, 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.

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 Athens statesman, lawmaker, and lyric poetry. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in Archaic period in Greece Athens....
's reforms, he was elected from the wealthiest Athenians (the Pentakosiomedimnoi (?e?ta??s??µ?d?µ???), "500-bushel men", rather than the Eupatridae
Eupatridae

Eupatridae refers to the ancient nobility of the Greek region of Attica. Tradition ascribes to Theseus, whom it also regards as the author of the union of Attica round Athens as a political centre, the division of the Attic population into three classes, Eupatridae, Geomori and Demiurgi....
, the aristocractic families). After 487 BC, the Archonships were assigned by lot.

It is believed the Basileus Archon's wife, the Basilinna
Basilinna

Basilinna, another title for the queen of Athens, who was married to the Basileus or, king of Athens. During the festival of Anthesteria, the basilinna was given as the ceremonial bride to Dionysus....
, had to marry to and have sex 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, were otherwise confined to the house and of little importance. It should be noted that, during antiquity, women in Greece served as priestesses at deity oracle
Oracle

An oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophecy opinion; an infallible authority, usually Spirituality in nature....
s such as at Delphi.

Sources

Stanton, G.R. Athenian Politics c.800-500 B.C.: A Sourcebook. London and New York: Routledge, 1990.