Ancient Greece had many rulers whose titles and names are so intertwined with legends and confusing that it is difficult to separate them from mythological heroes and personalize them. The only thing that can be said for sure is the common name of the Greek rulers. What were they called in ancient Greek times?
High title
The ancient Greeks called their rulers Basileus - monarchs who inherited power. The history of this word goes back to the 15th century BC, to which the found clay tablets belonged, on which was written "qa-si-re-u" - a term denoting a leader or a person standing one step below the king. In ancient Greece, the word "Basileus" denoted a ruler who inherited power from the previous king. In the 5th century, the Athenians elected an archon to the post of basileus, who combined the functions of a priest and a judge in his work.
According to Aristotle, the term "Basileus" appeared during the time of the first legendary kings of Greece and has an ancient origin.
In ancient Greece, the Basileus were defined as rulers elected or voluntarily accepted by the people, in contrast to tyrants who came to power by force. So, Basileus were called Spartan kings, since they possessed power, which was limited to the institution of ephor overseers and were recognized by the common people. In Thessaly, the title of Basileus was assigned to the supreme military leader, who was elected for life in the Thessalian Union. The term was not limited to Greece. So, in Macedonia, Asia and Egypt, Alexander the Great and his generals also bore the titles of Basileus.
History and legends
Roman emperors were also unofficially called Basileus. After the spread of Christianity, the use of this title became more frequent in the east of the Roman Empire, where the influence of Greek culture was especially strong. After the defeat of the Sassanian kingdom in 610-641, the Byzantine emperor Heraclius took the official title of Basileus, which had previously belonged to the Sassanids.
On the territory of Byzantium, only Byzantine emperors and Greek rulers were allowed to be called Basileus.
According to legend, the word "Basileus" in the Mycenaean era was called a wise mythical griffin, bringing good luck. The inhabitants of the ancient Middle East called Basileus a creature that personified enlightenment and wisdom. The Indians believed that mythological creatures with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion guard treasures in gold-bearing veins. However, this version has been misinterpreted. The Basilevs did not guard the precious metal, but wisdom, which the interpreters simply confused with the most expensive treasure of those times - gold. There is also a version according to which the word "basileus" was a variant of the word "basilisk" - another wise and ancient creature.
