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Revision as of 18:47, 25 July 2006 by Mbell (talk | contribs) (Disambiguation link repair - You can help!)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other uses, see Archon (disambiguation).Archon (Gr. ἄρχων, pl. ἄρχοντες) is a Greek word that means "ruler" or the like, though it is frequently encountered as the title of some specific public office. In form the word is simply the masculine present participle of the verb stem αρχ- (meaning "to rule"), derived from the same root that appears in words such as monarch and hierarchy.
Ancient Greece
In the early literary period of ancient Greece the chief magistrates of various Greek city states were called Archons. The term was also used throughout Greek history in a more general sense, ranging from "club leader" to "master of the tables" at syssitia to "Roman governor". Archōns ruled by imperium, whereas Basileus ("sovereign") are said to have auctoritas.
In Athens a system of three concurrent Archons evolved, the three office holders being known as the Archon Eponymous, the Polemarch, and the Archon Basileus. Originally these offices were filled from the aristocracy by elections every ten years. During this period Archon Eponymous was the chief magistrate, the Polemarch was the head of the armed forces, and the Archon Basileus was responsible for the civic religious arrangements. After 683 BC the offices were held for only a single year, and the year was named after the Archon Eponymous. (Many ancient calendar systems did not number their years consecutively as we do.) After 487 BC the archonships were assigned by lot to any citizen and the Polemarch's military duties were taken over by a new class of generals known as strategoi. The Polemarch thereafter had only minor religious duties. The Archon Eponymous remained the titular head of state even under the democracy, though of much reduced political importance. The Archons were assisted by "junior Archons", called Thesmothetes. After 457 BC ex-archons were automatically enrolled as life members of the Areopagus, though that assembly was no longer extremely important politically at that time. (See Archons of Athens.)
Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
From time to time, laity of the Orthodox Church in communion with the Patriarch of Constantinople have been granted the title of Archon to honor their service to Church administration. In 1963, Archons were organized into a service society dedicated to Saint Andrew. This Archon status is not part of the Church hierarchy and is purely honorary. See http://www.archons.org/ .
Gnostic Archons
In late antiquity some variants of Gnosticism used the term Archon to refer to several servants of the Demiurge, the "creator god" that stood between the human race and a transcendent God that could only be reached through gnosis. In this context they have the role of the angels and demons of the Old Testament.
The Egyptian Gnostic Basilideans accepted the existence of an archon called Abraxas who was the prince of 365 spiritual beings (Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, I.24). The Orphics accepted the existence of seven archons: Iadabaoth or Ialdabaoth (who created the six others), Iao, Sabaoth, Adonaios, Elaios, Astaphanos and Horaios (Origen, Contra Celsum, VI.31). The commonly-called Pistis Sophia (or The Books of the Savior) gives another set: Paraplex, Hekate, Ariouth (females), Typhon, and Iachtanabas (males).
Ialdabaoth had a head of a lion, just like Mithraic Kronos (Chronos), Persian Zervan (Zurvan) and Vedic Narasimha, a form of Vishnu. Their wrathful nature was mistaken as evil. The snake wrapped around them is Ananta (Sesha) Naga (mythology).
Other uses
The term is used within the Arab-speaking Copts in church parlance as a title for a leading-figure laity.
The term now appears fairly frequently as the title of rulers in English language fiction, television programs, and games of the science fiction and fantasy genres. Examples include the Outlanders series of science fiction novels and the comic book series, The Invisibles. It is also a common title in collegiate fraternity and sorority organizations.
In the popular computer game, Starcraft, Archons are large, glowing, Protoss creatures who possess psychic abilities, and attack using mind-charged electric bolts.
In the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse, archons are an angelic race indigenous to Mount Celestia.
See also
- Amphipoles, archons of Syracuse
- Auctoritas
- Basileus
- Wrathful deities
References
- A Greek-English Lexicon (aka Liddell and Scott), ISBN 0-19-864226-1
- The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature, ISBN 0-19-866121-5.
- Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
- List of Athenian Archons from 500 to 403 BC
