Epistates
{{short description|Ancient Greek term for an overseer or superintendent}}
An {{Lang|grc-latn|epistates}} ({{langx|el|ἐπιστάτης}}; plural {{langx|grc|ἐπιστάται|epistatai|label=none}}) in ancient Greece was any sort of superintendent or overseer. In the Hellenistic kingdoms generally, an {{Lang|grc-latn|epistates}} is always connected with a subject district (a regional assembly), where the {{Lang|grc-latn|epistates}}, as resident representative of the king, exercised control and collected taxes.
Military use
In military texts, an {{Lang|grc-latn|epistates}} (the one who stands behind) is the man behind a protostates (the one who stands first). The phalanx was made up of alternate ranks of {{Lang|grc-latn|protostates}} and {{Lang|grc-latn|epistates}}. Thus, in a file of eight men, the {{Lang|grc-latn|protostates}} were the men in positions 1, 3, 5, and 7, while the {{Lang|grc-latn|epistates}} occupied positions 2, 4, 6, and 8.Asclepiodotus, Tactica, 2.3Arr.Tact.6.6
New Testament usage
The word {{Lang|grc-latn|epistates}} is also used in "common" Koine Greek and in the Greek New Testament to refer to Christ. This word is translated into English as 'master,' but that is a simplistic translation. The word might be better understood as belonging to the set of Greek words meaning 'visitor' or 'divine visitation' ({{Lang|grc-latn|episkope}}), 'letter of instruction' ({{Lang|grc-latn|epistole}}), as well as 'guardian' or 'caretaker' ({{Lang|grc-latn|episkopos}}), which was a word later translated as bishop. See Luke 5:5 for an example of textual usage.
References
- Encyclopædia Britannica
- Antigonos Gonatas By William Woodthorpe Tarn Page 195
Category:Government of Macedonia (ancient kingdom)
Category:Hellenistic civilization
Category:Ancient Greek military terminology
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