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Navarch, Navarchus or Nauarchus^[1]^[2] (Greek: ναύαρχος, návarchos) is an Anglicisation of a Greek word meaning "leader of the ships", which in some states became the title of an office equivalent to that of a modern admiral. Also this status was very valuable in Ancient Greece.

Historical usage

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. In Athens navarch called only the commander of the Athenian sacred ships.^[1]^[2] 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 the Peloponnesian War, when fleets began to operate more independently. This separate title was originally used in cities that lacked an established naval tradition, Sparta being the most prominent, but entered broader use later, being adopted by the navies of the Hellenistic period states such as Macedon, Syracuse, the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the Seleucid Empire, the Achaean League, and Rhodes.

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 reinstate Lysander for 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 the Spartiate class; Lysander, the most famous occupant of the office, was a beneficiary of this rule.

The Latinisation nauarchus was used by the Roman navy for its squadron commanders. The Greek-speaking Byzantines sometimes used the term to designate the captains of ships; the terms drungarios or strategos were used to designate their admirals.

Modern Greece

In the modern Hellenic Navy, návarchos is the highest rank, equivalent to full admiral. All but one of the remaining flag ranks are also derivations of this word: antinávarchos (αντιναύαρχος, 'deputy-admiral') is the equivalent to vice admiral and yponávarchos (υποναύαρχος, 'under-admiral'), equivalent to rear admiral, while archiploíarchos is the equivalent of commodore. The same ranks are also used by the Hellenic Coast Guard.

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

Under the Greek monarchy, the five-star rank of archinávarchos (αρχιναύαρχος), equivalent to grand admiral or admiral of the fleet, was introduced in 1939. It was held ex officio by the reigning monarch, who also held the equivalent ranks in the army and air force. Only kings George II, Paul and Constantine II held the rank.

NATO code:	OF-1	OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-6	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9
Flag of Greece Greek commissioned officer ranks
Navy:	Simaioforos & Anthypoploiarchos	Ypoploiarchos	Plotarchis	Antiploiarchos	Ploiarchos	Archiploiarchos	Yponavarchos	Antinavarchos	Navarchos
Army:	Anthypolochagos & Ypolochagos Ypilarchos & Anthypilarchos (Armoured)	Lochagos Ilarchos (Armoured)	Tagmatarchis	Antisyntagmatarchis	Syntagmatarchis	Taxiarchos	Ypostratigos	Antistratigos	Stratigos
Air Force:	Anthyposminagos & Yposminagos	Sminagos	Episminagos	Antisminarchos	Sminarchos	Taxiarchos Aeroporias	Ypopterarchos	Antipterarchos	Pterarchos

References

Hornblower, Simon, and Anthony Spawforth ed., The Oxford Classical Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 2003) ISBN 0-19-866172-X

[Harpers_Dictionary_of_Classical_Antiquities_-_Nauarchus-1] Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Nauarchus

[A_Dictionary_of_Greek_and_Roman_Antiquities_-_Navarchus-2] A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Navarchus

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+{{Short description|Greek word meaning "leader of the ships"}}
-'''Navarch''' ({{lang-el|'''ναύαρχος'''}}, pronounced ''návarchos'') is a Greek word meaning "leader of the ships", which in some states became the title of an office equivalent to that of a modern [[admiral]].
+{{Refimprove|date=April 2019}}
+'''Navarch''', '''Navarchus''' or '''Nauarchus'''<ref name="Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities - Nauarchus">[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=nauarchus-harpers Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Nauarchus]</ref><ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - Navarchus">[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0063:entry=navarchus-cn A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Navarchus]</ref> ({{langx|el|[[wikt:ναύαρχος|ναύαρχος]]}}, {{transl|el|návarchos}}) is an [[Anglicisation]] of a Greek word meaning "leader of the ships", which in some states became the title of an office equivalent to that of a modern [[admiral]]. Also this status was very valuable in Ancient Greece.
 == Historical usage ==
+{{Main|Spartan navarch}}
-Not all states gave their naval commanders such a title. [[Athens]], for instance, placed its fleet under the command of generals (''[[strategos|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 the [[Peloponnesian War]], when fleets began to operate more independently. This separate title was originally used in cities that lacked an established naval tradition, [[Sparta]] being the most prominent, but entered broader use later, being adopted by the navies of the [[Hellenistic era]] states such as [[Macedon]], [[Syracuse, Italy|Syracuse]], [[Ptolemaic Empire|Ptolemaic]] and [[Seleucid Empire]], [[Achaean League]], and [[Rhodes]].
+Not all states gave their naval commanders such a title. [[Athens]], for instance, placed its fleet under the command of generals (''[[strategos|strategoi]]'') holding the same title as those who commanded its land forces. In Athens navarch called only the commander of the [[Athenian sacred ships]].<ref name="Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities - Nauarchus"/><ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - Navarchus"/>
+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 the [[Peloponnesian War]], when fleets began to operate more independently. This separate title was originally used in cities that lacked an established naval tradition, [[Sparta]] being the most prominent, but entered broader use later, being adopted by the navies of the [[Hellenistic period]] states such as [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedon]], [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]], the [[Seleucid Empire]], the [[Achaean League]], and [[Rhodes#Hellenistic and Roman periods|Rhodes]].
 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 reinstate [[Lysander]] for 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 the [[Spartiate]] class; Lysander, the most famous occupant of the office, was a beneficiary of this rule.
-''Nauarchus'', a direct transliteration of the Greek term into Latin, was also used by the [[Roman Navy]] for its squadron commanders. The Greek-speaking [[Byzantine navy|Byzantines]] sometimes used the term to designate the captains of ships; the terms ''[[drungarios]]'' or ''strategos'' were used to designate their admirals.
+The [[Romanisation of Greek|Latinisation]] ''{{lang|la|nauarchus}}'' was used by the [[Roman navy]] for its squadron commanders. The Greek-speaking [[Byzantine navy|Byzantines]] sometimes used the term to designate the captains of ships; the terms ''[[drungarios]]'' or ''{{transl|grc|strategos}}'' were used to designate their admirals.
+== Modern Greece ==
+[[File:Greek Navy Admiral Flag.svg|150px|thumb|right|Rank flag of a {{transl|el|návarchos}}.]]
+In the modern [[Hellenic Navy]], {{transl|el|návarchos}} is the highest rank, equivalent to full admiral. All but one of the remaining [[flag officer|flag ranks]] are also derivations of this word: {{transl|el|antinávarchos}} ({{lang|el|αντιναύαρχος}}, 'deputy-admiral') is the equivalent to [[vice admiral]] and {{transl|el|yponávarchos}} ({{lang|el|υποναύαρχος}}, 'under-admiral'), equivalent to [[rear admiral]], while {{transl|el|archiploíarchos}} is the equivalent of [[Commodore (rank)|commodore]]. The same ranks are also used by the [[Hellenic Coast Guard]].
+The rank of full admiral is held in active service only by the Chief of the [[Hellenic National Defense General Staff|General Staff of National Defence]], when he is a naval officer, and customarily given to the Chiefs of the [[Hellenic Navy General Staff]], who normally carry the rank of vice admiral, on retirement.
+Under the [[Greek monarchy]], the [[five-star rank]] of {{transl|el|archinávarchos}} ({{lang|el|αρχιναύαρχος}}), equivalent to [[grand admiral]] or [[admiral of the fleet]], was introduced in 1939. It was held [[ex officio]] by the reigning monarch, who also held the equivalent ranks in the army and air force. Only kings [[George II of Greece|George II]], [[Paul of Greece|Paul]] and [[Constantine II of Greece|Constantine II]] held the rank.
-== Modern Greek Navy ==
-[[File:Greek Navy Admiral Flag.svg|150px|thumb|right|Rank flag of a ''Νávarchos''.]]
-In the modern [[Hellenic Navy]], ''Νávarchos'' is the highest rank, equivalent to full Admiral. It is held only by the Chief of the [[Hellenic National Defense General Staff|General Staff of National Defence]], when he is a Navy officer. All but one of the remaining [[flag officer|flag ranks]] are also derivations of this word: ''Antinávarchos'' (Αντιναύαρχος, [[Vice Admiral]]) and ''Yponávarchos'' (Υποναύαρχος, [[Rear Admiral]]), while ''Archiploíarchos'' is the equivalent of [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]]. The same ranks are also used by the [[Hellenic Coast Guard]].
-<center>
 {{Greece officer ranks}}
-</center>
-==References==
+== See also ==
+* {{Annotated link|Polemarch}}
-*Hornblower, Simon, and Anthony Spawforth ed., ''The Oxford Classical Dictionary'' (Oxford University Press, 2003) ISBN 0-19-866172-X
+== References ==
+{{reflist}}
+*Hornblower, Simon, and Anthony Spawforth ed., ''The Oxford Classical Dictionary'' (Oxford University Press, 2003) {{ISBN|0-19-866172-X}}
-[[Category:Admirals]]
-[[Category:Ancient Greek titles]]
 [[Category:Hellenic Navy]]
 [[Category:Military ranks of ancient Greece]]
 [[Category:Military ranks of Greece]]
-[[Category:Military ranks of Sparta]]
 [[Category:Military ranks of ancient Macedon]]
+[[Category:Naval ranks]]
-[[de:Nauarch]]
-[[es:Navarco]]
-[[fr:Navarque]]
-[[he:נאוארכוס]]
-[[pl:Nauarch]]
-[[sh:Navarh]]
-[[zh:海军都统]]