Anax

Anax(Greek:ἄναξ;from earlierϝάναξ,wánax) is anancient Greekword for "tribal chief,lord (military) leader ".^[1]It is one of the two Greek titles traditionally translated as "king", the other beingbasileus,and is inherited fromMycenaean Greece.It is notably used inHomeric Greek,e.g. forAgamemnon.The feminine form isanassa,"queen" (ἄνασσα,fromwánassa,itself from*wánakt-ja).^[2]

Homericanax

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Etymology

The wordanaxderives from the stemwanakt-(nominative*ϝάνακτς,genitiveϝάνακτος), and appears inMycenaean Greekwritten inLinear Bscript as𐀷𐀙𐀏,wa-na-ka,^[1]and in the feminine form as𐀷𐀙𐀭,wa-na-sa^[3](laterἄνασσα,ánassa). Thedigammaϝwas pronounced/w/and was dropped very early on, even before the adoption of thePhoenician alphabet,byeastern Greek dialects(e.g.Ionic Greek); other dialects retained the digamma until well after the classical era.

The Greek title has been compared^{[by whom?]}toSanskritvanij,a word for "merchant", but in theRigvedaonce used as a title ofIndrain Rig Veda 5.45.6. The word could then be fromProto-Indo-European*wen-aǵ-,roughly "bringer of spoils" (compare the etymology oflord,"giver of bread" ). However,Robert Beekesargues there is no convincing IE etymology and the term is probably from thepre-Greek substrate.

References

The wordanaxin theIliadrefers toAgamemnon(ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν,anax andrōn,i.e. "leader of men" ) and toPriam,high kings who exercise overlordship over other, presumably lesser, kings. This possible hierarchy of oneanaxexercising power over several local "basileis" probably hints to a proto-feudal political organization ofAegean civilizations.TheLinear Badjective𐀷𐀙𐀏𐀳𐀫,wa-na-ka-te-ro(wanákteros), "of [the household of] the king, royal",^[4]and the Greek wordἀνάκτορον,anáktoron,"royal [dwelling], palace"^[5]are derived fromanax.Anaxis also a ceremonial epithet of the godZeus( "Zeus Anax" ) in his capacity as overlord of the Universe, including the rest of the gods. The meaning ofbasileusas "king" in Classical Greece is due to a shift in terminology during theGreek Dark Ages.In Mycenaean times, a*gʷasileusappears to be a lower-ranking official (in one instance a chief of a professional guild), while in Homer,anaxis already an archaic title, most suited to legendary heroes and gods rather than for contemporary kings.

The word is found as an element in such names asHipponax( "king of horses" ),Anaxagoras( "king of theagora"),Pleistoanax( "king of the multitude" ),Anaximander( "king of the estate" ), Anaximenes ( "enduring king" ),Astyanax( "high king", "overlord of the city" ), Anaktoria ( "royal [woman]" ), Iphiánassa ( "mighty queen" ), and many others. The archaic pluralánakes(ἄνακες, "Kings" ) was a common reference to theDioskouroi,whose temple was usually called theAnakeion(ἀνάκειον) and their yearly religious festival theAnákeia(ἀνάκεια).

The wordsánaxandánassaare occasionally used inModern Greekas a deferential to royalty, whereas the wordanáktoro[n]and its derivatives are commonly used with regard to palaces.

Mycenaeanwánax

During the MediterraneanBronze Age,Mycenaeansociety was characterized by the creation of palaces and walled settlements. Thewánaxin Mycenaean social hierarchy is generally accepted to function as a king, though with various roles which also stretch outside of administrative function.^[6]The term "wánax"is believed to have eventually transformed into the Homeric term"anax",having fallen out of use with the collapse of Mycenaean civilization during theLate Bronze Age Collapse.^[7]The Greek term for kingship would transfer tobasileus,which is believed to have been a subservient title in Mycenaean times akin for chieftains and local leaders.^[7]^[8]

Roles

The origin role of thewánaxmay be from warrior roots of migrating Indo-Europeans as a leadership role, eventually leading to the notion of kingship and the formal position and role of thewánaxin Mycenaean times.^[9]Thewánaxduring Mycenaean times was at the apex of Mycenaean society, presiding over a centralized state administration with a strong hierarchical organization; a common formula in the Bronze Age Mediterranean and Near East. This is hierarchically likened to a king, and as such much of the duties of thewánaxwere related to duties of administration, warfare, diplomacy, economics and religion.

Administrative participation

Administratively, Mycenaean political divisions broadly unfolded into a hierarchical division ofwánax(king) with a broader structure which existed around thewánaxin the form of Mycenaean palatial authority and administration.^[8]Thewánaxis also identified as the figure able to appoint individuals to rank within the administrative elite.^[8]Much of this administrative body functioned as the limbs by which awánaxexercised authority and action, rather than directly partaking directly in every function of the state; with only two known inscription references on record of thewánaxtaking direct action within the internal administrative body.^[6]However, much of the records available concerning the role ofwánaxdeal with economic information due to the importance of such scribal records to Mycenaean states, but does not discredit the participation of thewánaxdirectly in other facets of the state.^[6]Thewánaxwould also delegate lands to members of this palatial elite and other hierarchic officials depending on their role, such as with thetelestai.^[6]^[10]Some of these hierarchical positions under thewánaxincluded thelawagetas(he who leads the people, a meaning which remains unclear), varying positions of which the meanings remain unknown (hektai,collectorsof commodity and flock), scribes, mayors, vice-mayors, and varying styles of overseer. The term "basileus"is also familiar to the Mycenaean hierarchy as a local chieftain or leader, and would later come to replacewánaxas the term for king after the collapse of Mycenaean civilization.^[8]

This administrative body produced or obtained many artefacts by which they might increase their prestige,^[11]or more practically manage the state of thewánaxmore effectively. Mycenaean administrative artefacts include tablets which carry inscriptions from a scribal body, among which are tablets of purely administrative work (accounting for state supplies of resources), which would have been designed to support thewánaxand state administration, and to be supported by a state administration.^[10]Much of the surviving Mycenaean administrative records which remain primarily deal with economic affairs, and the management of state resources. Mycenaean states were active participants in diplomacy and trade, between their fellow Mycenaean states and the broader interregional bodies which surrounded them.^[12]

Warfare

Fortifications dominate the Mycenaean world, with such structures being erected across the Bronze Age, but particularly during the Late Bronze Age Collapse (where the necessity for such fortifications intensified), before the end of Mycenaean civilization. Being prolific builders of fortifications,wánaxesactively engaged in warlike campaigning in and around their states, though evidence for their direct participation is minimal. Evidence fromPylossuggests that thewánaxwas in possession of weapons specifically indicated as royal.^[8]Stronger evidence exists that thewánaxassigned military leadership to other members of the palatial elite. At Pylos, a name identified ase-ke-ra-wois speculated to either be awánaxor another person of importance, and was tasked with managing the rowers of Pylos in particular.^[6]

Ahhiyawa texts

TheAhhiyawatexts include correspondences between unnamed Mycenaeanwánaxesand theHittite kingdom.One such text from the collection, known as theTawagalawa Letter,was composed from the King of Hatti to an unnamed Mycenaeanwánax,and contained diplomatic correspondences regarding a man by the name of Piyamaradu, who had acted against theHittiteKing; and that thewánaxshould either return him or reject him.^[12]The same text informs that the unnamedwánaxhad previously been in conflict with the Hittites over the territory ofWilusa,though there is no further conflict between them.^[12]The Hittite King refers to thewánaxnot by title but as "brother" in these texts, a common practice in the ancient Near East in diplomatic correspondences with powers viewed as equal participants in interregional status. Another text which is heavily fragmented was sent by awánaxto the King of Hatti (likelyMuwattalli II) concerning the ownership of islands.^[12]

Economic participation

Wánaxeshave much heavier evidence of participation in state economics, taking a more direct role rather than the hierarchical allocations and lack of evidence for administrative participation. The lands of thewánaxwere closely tied to economic output of foods and commodity goods.^[8]Economically, various records exist which refer towanakteros,royal craftsmen, under the employ of thewánax.^[6]^[13]These craftsmen came in a variety of roles, from practical purposes to commodity production,^[6]^[8]though not all craftsmen were exclusively royal in nature in the Mycenaean economic sphere.^[14]Additionally, the royal designation is applied not only to craftsmen within the economy, but to storehouses of jars believed to contain olive oil; indicating the presence of royal products which were circulated within Mycenaean civilization and beyond.^[6]Royal employment would indicate that thewánaxacts much more closer to the economy as a sort of overseer or administrator than to many of the other tasks of the state. However, much of the records available concerning the role ofwánaxdeal with economic information due to the importance of such scribal records to Mycenaean states, but does not discredit the participation of thewánaxdirectly in other facets of the state. Mycenaean elite also utilized luxury items to accentuate their status, and placed high value economically and politically on such items.^[11]^[14]

Another major economic function of thewánaxwas the participation in and organization of elaborate feasting amongst the Mycenaean elite, and shared with those outside the immediate palatial elite as well. Feasts required extensive planning and organization on the part of thewánaxand palatial administration, which needed to mobilize large amounts of resources in order to host such elaborate feasts.^[11]A major feature of these feasts involved drinking, as evidenced by the many prestige drinking vessels recovered.^[11]These processes economically involved the collection and feeding of vast quantities of livestock, luxury items for the elite (feasting equipment like luxury pottery and cups) and politically demonstrated the authority of thewánaxwith his elite.^[11]One manner in which feasting further secured thewánaxeconomically and politically was the inclusion of lower elites (local leaders and other non-palatial authorities under thewánax) in feasting, both building social connections to thewánaxand economically persuading lower elites to dedicate resources to palatial feasting.

Religious participation

Thewánaxwere extensively involved in cultic practice during the Mycenean period of Greek religion, participating and playing a central role in Mycenaean religion.^[8]Much of this was involved in ritual practice from feasting to ceremonies dedicated to the gods, with thewánaxbeing evidenced to perhaps been ritually involved in cultic activities which involve the use of oil and spice. Mention of oil and spice, and mention of thewánaxbeing closely related to religious practice, has led some scholars to speculate the potential of kingship being semi-divine in Mycenaean Greece; however evidence is lacking for this claim, perhaps from an overzealous desire to seek out connections betweenwánaxand goddesses such as Demeter and Persephone. It is more likely thewánaxwas viewed as a mortal king.Wánaxeswere especially involved in feasting, and therefore all religious feasting would've been reliant on thewánaxto economically support and participate in.^[8]

References

^^a ^bἄναξ.Liddell, Henry George;Scott, Robert;A Greek–English Lexiconat thePerseus Project.
^Beekes, Robert(2010) [2009]. "S.v.ἄναξ".Etymological Dictionary of Greek.Vol. 1. With the assistance of Lucien van Beek. Leiden, Boston: Brill. pp. 98–99.ISBN 9789004174184.
^"The Linear B word wa-na-sa".Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of ancient languages.
^"The Linear B word wa-na-ka-te-ro".Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of ancient languages.
^ἀνάκτορονinLiddellandScott.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^hDuhoux, Yves (2008).A Companion to Linear B: Mycenaean Greek texts and their World Volume 1.Peeters.
^^a ^bGrottanelli, Cristiano (2005).Encyclopedia of Religion: Kingship in the Ancient Mediterranean World.Gale. pp. 5165–5166.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱDeger-Jalkotzy, Sigrid(2006).Ancient Greece: From the Mycenaean Palaces to the Age of Homer.Edinburgh University Press.ISBN 9780748627295.
^Willms, Lothar (2010)."On the IE Etymology of Greek (w)anax".Glotta.86(1–4): 232–271.doi:10.13109/glot.2010.86.14.232.ISSN 0017-1298.JSTOR 41219890.
^^a ^bColvin, Stephen (2014).A Brief History of Ancient Greek.John Wiley & Sons. p. 40.ISBN 9781118610725.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eWright, James (2004)."A Survey of Evidence for Feasting in Mycenaean Society".Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.73(2): 133–178.doi:10.2972/hesp.2004.73.2.133.JSTOR 4134891.S2CID 54957703– via JSTOR.
^^a ^b ^c ^dBeckman, Gary (2011).The Ahhiyawa texts.Society of Biblical Literature. pp. 101–267.ISBN 9781589832688.
^Papadopoulos, John (2018). "Greek Protohistories".World Archaeology.50(5): 690–705.doi:10.1080/00438243.2019.1568294.S2CID 219614767.
^^a ^bAprile, Jamie (2013)."Crafts, Specialists, and Markets in Mycenaean Greece. The New Political Economy of Nichoria: Using Intrasite Distribution Data to Investigate Regional Institutions".American Journal of Archaeology.117(3): 429–436.doi:10.3764/aja.117.3.0429.hdl:2152/31046.JSTOR 10.3764/aja.117.3.0429.S2CID 148377869– via JSTOR.

Anax

Homericanax

Etymology

References

Mycenaeanwánax

Roles

Administrative participation

Warfare

Ahhiyawa texts

Economic participation

Religious participation

See also

References

Further reading