|
Archon (Gr. αρχων, pl. αρχοντες) 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 participle of the verb stem
αρχο-, derived from the same root that appears in words such as monarch and hierarchy.
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 "Roman governor" to "Satan" (as the ruler of the Cosmos).
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 BCE 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 BCE 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. After 457 BCE 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 1966, 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.
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, both basically considered
evil. The most well-known Archon is probably Abraxas.
The term now appears fairly frequently as the title of rulers in English language stories, shows, and games of the science fiction and fantasy
genres. (The Invisibles, for example.)
References
Actually, the lower plane referred to below is named Acheron, probably in reference to the river of hate
from Greek Mythology. Somebody should probably fix this.
Archon is also one of the Hells in Dungeons & Dragons.
Archon consists of following layers:
- Avalas
- Thuldanin
- Tintibulus
- Ocanthus
Archon is a computer game from the 1980s. See: Archon (computer game).
|