Protostates

{{short description|Position in Ancient Greek infantry}}

{{Distinguish|quasi-state{{!}}proto-state}}

A protostates ({{langx|el|πρωτοστάτης|lit=the one who stands first/in front}}),{{Cite web | work= Greek Word Study Tool | script-title=el:πρωτοστάτης | date = | accessdate = 2017-08-27 | url = https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=prwtostaths&la=greek#lexicon }} in Ancient Greece, was the man in front of an epistates (the one who stands behind). The Greek phalanx was made up of alternate ranks of protostates and epistates. Thus, in a file of eight men, the protostates were the men in positions 1, 3, 5 and 7, while the epistates occupied positions 2, 4, 6 and 8.Asclepiodotus, Tactica, 2.3 The term remained in use into the Byzantine Empire. The foremost protostates of a file (lochos) was called a lochagos (λοχαγός).