Navarch

Navarch(Greek:ναύαρχος,návarchos) is anAnglicisationof a Greek word meaning "leader of the ships", which in some states became the title of an office equivalent to that of a modernadmiral.Also this status was very valuable in Ancient Greece.

Historical usage

Main article:Spartan navarch

Not all states gave their naval commanders such a title.Athens,for instance, placed its fleet under the command of generals (strategoi) holding the same title as those who commanded its land forces. Such command structures reflected the fact that, especially early in the Classical period, fleets operated in close conjunction with land forces, and indeed, the title of navarch did not begin to appear until the time of thePeloponnesian War,when fleets began to operate more independently. This separate title was originally used in cities that lacked an established naval tradition,Spartabeing the most prominent, but entered broader use later, being adopted by the navies of theHellenistic periodstates such asMacedon,Syracuse,thePtolemaic Kingdom,theSeleucid Empire,theAchaean League,andRhodes.

At Sparta and many other city-states, the position was held for one year only (a situation that compelled the Spartans to resort to an elaborate legal fiction when they wished to reinstateLysanderfor more than one year in command). Admirals of despotic or monarchic states, however, could serve for years at a time. At Sparta, the position, unlike most high-level offices, was available to men from outside theSpartiateclass; Lysander, the most famous occupant of the office, was a beneficiary of this rule.

TheLatinisationnauarchuswas used by theRoman navyfor its squadron commanders. The Greek-speakingByzantinessometimes used the term to designate the captains of ships; the termsdrungariosorstrategoswere used to designate their admirals.

Modern Greece

Rank flag of anávarchos.

In the modernHellenic Navy,návarchosis the highest rank, equivalent to full admiral. All but one of the remainingflag ranksare also derivations of this word:antinávarchos(αντιναύαρχος,'deputy-admiral') is the equivalent tovice admiralandyponávarchos(υποναύαρχος,'under-admiral'), equivalent torear admiral,whilearchiploíarchosis the equivalent ofcommodore.The same ranks are also used by theHellenic Coast Guard.

The rank of full admiral is held in active service only by the Chief of theGeneral Staff of National Defence,when he is a naval officer, and customarily given to the Chiefs of theHellenic Navy General Staff,who normally carry the rank of vice admiral, on retirement.

Under theGreek monarchy,thefive-star rankofarchinávarchos(αρχιναύαρχος), equivalent togrand admiraloradmiral of the fleet,was introduced in 1939. It was heldex officioby the reigning monarch, who also held the equivalent ranks in the army and air force. Only kingsGeorge II,PaulandConstantine IIheld the rank.

See also

• Polemarch– Senior military title in various ancient Greek city states

References

• Hornblower, Simon, and Anthony Spawforth ed.,The Oxford Classical Dictionary(Oxford University Press, 2003)ISBN0-19-866172-X