Ethnarch

Ethnarch(pronounced/ˈɛθnɑːrk/,alsoethnarches,Greek:ἐθνάρχης) is a term that refers generally to political leadership over a commonethnic groupor homogeneous kingdom. The word is derived from theGreekwordsἔθνος(ethnos,"tribe/nation" ) andἄρχων(archon,"leader/ruler" ).Strong's Concordancegives the definition of 'ethnarch' as "the governor (not king) of a district".

Antiquity

The title first appeared in theHellenisticMiddle East,possibly inJudea.In theFirst book of Maccabeesthe word is used three times (1 Maccabees 14:47 and 15:1-2), whereSimon Thassiis referred to as thehigh priestand ethnarch of the Judeans.

It was used in the region even after it fell under the dominion of Rome, and into the earlyRoman Empire,to refer to rulers of vassal kingdoms who did not rise to the level ofkings.The Romans used the termsnatioandgensfor a people as a genetic and cultural entity, regardless of political statehood.

The best-known is probablyHerod Archelaus,son ofHerod the Great,who was ethnarch ofSamaria,Judea(BiblicalJudah), and Idumea (BiblicalEdom), from the death of his father in 4 BC to AD 6. This region is known as theTetrarchy of Judea.His brother Philip received the north-east of the realm and was styledTetrarch(circa 'ruler of a quarter'); andGalileewas given toHerod Antipas,who bore the same title. Consequently, Archelaus' title singled him out as the senior ruler, higher in rank than the tetrarchs and the chief of the Jewish nation; these three sovereignties were in a sense reunited underHerod Agrippafrom AD 41 to 44.

Previously,Hyrcanus II,one of the laterHasmoneanrulers of Judea, had also held the title of ethnarch, as well as that ofHigh Priest.

In theNew Testamentthe word is used only once by theApostle Paulin hisSecond Epistle to the Corinthians(2 Corinthians 11:32).However the definition of the word in terms of the actual jurisdiction and public office of the ethnarch may not be accurately determined.

Byzantine Empire

TheByzantinesused the term generically to refer to the rulers ofbarbariantribes or realms outside the boundaries of their empire.In a Christian context, whereethnikosmeant "pagan,"someChurch Fathersused the termethnarchesto designate pagan national gods.In the 10th century, the term acquired a more technical sense, when it was given to several high-ranking commanders. Although the specific nature of the title is not attested, it is generally accepted that in the 10th–11th centuries, it signified the commanders of the contingent of foreign mercenaries serving in theByzantine army.

Ottoman Empire

Rather different was the case of minority community ethnarchs, especially within the IslamicOttoman Empirethat were recognized as legitimate entities (millet) and thus allowed to be heard by the government through an officially acknowledged representative, though without political persona.

When the Ottoman SultanMehmet IIdecided to give such dialogue a more formal nature, the logical choice for the major Orthodox Christian communities was the Greek OrthodoxEcumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.Thenon-Chalcedonian Christians(Armenians, Syriacs, and Copts) were represented by theArmenian Patriarchate of Constantinople.For the far smaller, but also influentialJewish diaspora,a similar position was granted to theHakham Bashi,i.e., chief rabbi.

Modern Greece and Cyprus

In modern Greek usage, the term has the connotation of "father of the nation",and has been widely used as an epithet applied to perhaps the most influential political leader in modern Greek history:Eleftherios Venizelos.In more recent times, it has also been attributed toKonstantinos Karamanlis.

In the context of modernCyprus,the term nearly always refers to the nation's first president,Archbishop Makarios.Unlike Venizelos and Karamanlis, who are rarely ever called ethnarches in such uses, streets of major Greek cities are named after Makarios:Greek:Εθνάρχου Μακαρίου,lit. 'Ethnarch Makarios(' str.)'

References and sources

References

Sources

• Flavius Josephus
• Kazhdan, Alexander,ed. (1991),Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium,Oxford University Press,ISBN978-0-19-504652-6
• STRONGS NT 1481: ἐθνάρχης.Strong's Concordance (Bible Hub). Retrieved: 18 August 2014.
• (in Greek)Γεώργιος Γρατσέας."Έθνάρχης."Θρησκευτική και Ηθική Εγκυκλοπαίδεια (ΘΗΕ). Τόμος 5 (Διοκλητιανός-Ζώτος). Αθηναι – Αθαν. Μαρτινος, 1964. σελ. 351.